


Elevation

by kaedechan



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Danganronpa, SDR2, Super Dangan Ronpa 2, Super Danganronpa 2
Genre: F/F, F/M, Komahina - Freeform, M/M, Other, Slow Build, Spoilers, Work In Progress, post sdr2, slow burn (?)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-17 05:11:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 58,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3516632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaedechan/pseuds/kaedechan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Just thinking their name awakens so many memories and feelings within you that you can barely begin to make sense of them all. Bits and pieces begin to fall into place; but the more you remember, the less sense you can make of it all."</p><p>Post-sdr2.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

As your consciousness drifts, you contemplate the connection between mind and body. You feel as though you are real, but you do not have a body to speak of; at least, not one you are aware of yet. You are merely floating, reeling in this forgotten space between reality and fantasy. They said you’d cease to exist... is that what’s happening? Is this what it feels like? Almost like being submerged in murky water, but without the wetness - and there’s pressure building up behind you. Maybe you’re not even human anymore... you’re a small puff of smoke, dissipating at an alarming rate. Memories and dreams swirl around you. You try to find something, _anything_  to hold on to, to take you from this cavern of weightlessness back to solidity. Your arm reaches out - but does it? Or is it your imagination? - and your fingers stretch - or, they seem to, although you cannot tell, since they may not be there to stretch at all - and you finally grasp hold of something that keeps you from slipping away.

 

Your friends.

 

They greet you with cheery smiles, reserved waves, slight nods. They move past you like shadows on a wall, gradually becoming larger to you; larger than life. At first, you couldn’t even remember their faces, or their names - but now, there’s no way you could _not_ know these things.

 

Teruteru and his exuberant personality.

 

Togami, who willingly gave his life for you, and for everyone else.

 

Koizumi, who kept her friend’s happiness close to her heart.

 

Pekoyama, whose devotion never wavered even the slightest.

 

Ibuki and her unique attitude - which was a treat to anyone who had the chance to bear witness to it.

 

Saionji, who actually tried her hardest to change for the better.

 

Tsumiki, whose happiness was a truly beautiful thing.

 

Nidai and his overwhelming presence... how he seemed like a father in many ways.

 

Tanaka, who was far more sentimental and caring than his demeanor suggested.

 

You remember them all. Everything about them. They’d given you something to look forward to, something to trust in - something to believe in with your entire self.

 

You remember Owari, with her huge appetite and stunning appearance. You remember how she didn’t mince words, and got straight to the heart of the matter. How she fought the despair of the island, even when the others told her not to. How, in the end, she decided to keep fighting.

 

You remember Souda. His courage was lacking, but his passion was not. You remember how he pushed again and again for your friends to hold on to the goal of freedom. How his faith in his friends made him brave, when it really counted.

 

You remember Sonia. You remember that she was dainty in appearance, but her strength was anything but frail. You remember how she cared for her friends more deeply than you could believe possible. How her regal attitude fit her like a glove - and how, with her quiet determination, she was able to resist despair and continue to move onward.

 

You remember Kuzuryuu, who had changed the most out of all of them since arriving on the island. You remember how he opened up to everyone after Peko’s execution, in order to make her sacrifice worth something. How his concern for his friends propelled him to become a huge influence on the rest of the students. It really was amazing, how different he was now.

 

And - you hoped this would remain with you forever - you remember Nanami.

Nanami saved you all, in the end. She'd done nothing but work towards saving all of you since the moment she was created. You remember her refusal to accept mutual killing, the willpower she demonstrated when conducting investigations… you remember how she would take the time to think before she spoke - and the hope she always kept close to her heart.

 

Now you feel a little more solid for sure. You aren’t drifting away anymore, not quite. You’re held in place by the memory of them. You call forth every detail of them, saying their names over and over to yourself. Teruteru, Togami, Koizumi, Pekoyama, Ibuki, Saionji, Tsumiki, Nidai, Tanaka, Owari, Souda, Sonia, Kuzuryuu, Nanami… _Teruteru, Togami, Koizumi, Pekoyama, Ibuki, Saionji, Tsumiki, Nidai, Tanaka, Owari, Souda, Sonia, Kuzuryuu, Nanami…_

 

Wait.

 

Aren’t you forgetting someone? You can _just_ picture the green shade of their jacket, feel the unnatural coolness of their skin, _hear_ the raspy quality of their voice…

 

_Komaeda_.

 

Just thinking his name awakens so many memories and feelings within you that you can barely begin to make sense of them all. Bits and pieces begin to fall into place; but the more you remember, the less sense you can make of it all.

 

From the very beginning, Komaeda had looked after you, had lingered behind with you on the beach while the others had gone to explore. Whenever he'd spoken, he'd had a way of soothing you… even if it was just by distracting you. And that didn’t change, even after you had seen his… true colors. After _that_ happened, you had concluded that he was insane, that the Komaeda you knew before the trial did not exist. But… was that really the case?

 

Apparently, Komaeda hadn’t had the best life before entering Hope’s Peak. (Although you had assumed in the heat of the moment that he had been lying, you have a gut feeling that what he'd told you of his past was… nothing but the unfortunate truth). He'd been orphaned, kidnapped, and diagnosed with lymphoma… as well as dementia. And yet, he'd experienced an extraordinary amount of “good luck” as well - winning the lottery, being accepted into Hope’s Peak, and so on. Despite that… you can’t help feeling sorry for him.

 

You wonder if he has ever been close to another person. The way he talks, it’s almost as if… not a single person has ever shown an interest in being his friend. Or in _supporting_ him, even, despite all the horrible things he'd been through.

 

There’s an annoying buzzing noise coming from somewhere. It’s faint, but irritating…

 

You have a thought that _strikes_ you like a ton of bricks.

 

Is it possible that you’ve had it wrong all along? Is Komaeda… the ‘real’ Komaeda… more like the Komaeda you had first gotten to know? Is it possible that the Komaeda obsessed with hope, the Komaeda willing to start the mutual killing for the sake of that hope.... is it possible that _that_ Komaeda is a product of the hopeless cycle of his luck? Or of his dementia? …Or both?

 

Perhaps that’s a bit optimistic.

 

And… even if that’s true, it doesn’t excuse his actions.

 

Still… isn’t it possible for him to change? Isn’t that the entire reason you and your friends decided to leave the simulation - because you thought that, even though you were Super High School Level Despair, you could change? Then, isn’t it only natural to think that Komaeda could find something inside himself- something to bring him back to that “true nature” you think you’ve seen in him?

 

Even if Komaeda cannot go back to being like that… you think you’d like to help him try to become something in-between his two selves.

 

Because - even if he cannot see it - you know he's worth trying for. _Everyone_ is worth trying for in some way, after all… Komaeda is no exception…

 

It’s hard to think with that buzzing noise getting louder and louder. You distractedly wonder what that noise could be…

 

Komaeda... you want to see him again. You want to try, in any way you can, to get him to believe in his own worth. To help him move past the hope, the despair, _everything…_ and create a future of his own.

 

_I’ve decided._

 

_I am going to be what Komaeda needs… a friend. They are going to wake up._ All _of our friends are going to wake up._

 

_And I am going to prove Komaeda wrong. About everything._

 

_Because there_ is _hope for us. And there_ is _hope for someone like him. And he_ does  _have meaning._

 

_And… If I’ve forgiven the things my other friends have done, I must forgive what he's done. After all, I’m no better than them. I’m not. Because of Izuru… I…_

 

_I…?_

 

You startle, and rightly so. Because you have just realized that you have a body.

 

You are alive. You can think. You have mass.

 

You are here.

 

You are breathing, and you are _hurting_ , and you can hear and there is light behind your eyelids, and you - _I -_

 

Your eyes open, and the world blinds you.

 

Coughing, you blink back tears and raise a weak hand to meet the glass in front of your face.

 

Before the people (who you cannot yet see) on the other side of the glass manage to free you from your capsule, you have one thought that stills you to the core. Because this thought is a miracle.

 

_I am here. I am alive. And..._

 

_I am Hajime Hinata._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wondered how Hinata ended up waking up from the simulation as himself instead of Izuru. This is my version of how that became possible - the mind is a powerful place, and with powerful friends, I suppose anything is possible.
> 
> I appreciate any feedback I receive about this - and thanks for reading!
> 
> EDIT: Woah, I did some re-writing! The first chapter especially has changed; feel free to check that out!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An important decision is made.

“Hinata-san…”

 

Her voice is thin and reedy, only slightly clearer than your own. She sits close to you, close enough to touch, with posture befitting - well - a princess.

 

It’s been a full month since you'd woken up, and you have a big decision to make.

 

“What is it, Sonia?”

 

Sonia Nevermind looks very different than she had in the simulation. Her long golden hair has been cropped to her chin, and there are nasty burns marring her once-perfect porcelain skin. She seems more worn and haggard than you remember as well… Still, she is regal even now, even after everything that’s happened.

 

She takes a deep breath and rests her hand lightly on your shoulder. “I… wish I could do more to help you. Unfortunately, I do not know what the correct choice in this situation is.”

 

You shift uncomfortably. “Thanks, Sonia… But don’t be too hard on yourself. I don’t think anyone would know what the ‘right’ choice would be. Not for something like this.”

 

Strained silence.

 

“Either you risk becoming Izuru Kamukura and hurting the people around you, or we risk losing all of our friends who are still in comas” Sonia murmurs to herself. “Which choice is best?”

 

You turn to her and offer her a small smile. “I’m sure you’d do the right thing.”

 

She smiles back at you, unshed tears glistening in her eyes. “And I am just as sure you will do the right thing.”

 

“Hey, Sonia… are you alright?”

 

She pauses. “I am merely… concerned. I do not wish to risk losing you, Hinata-san. But the others…”

 

“I know.”

 

The whir of the fans above you distracts you, and you pause for a moment. The hotel lounge is dirtier than it was in the simulation, but not by very much. You almost expect to glance over and see Nanami working on one of the arcade games - but, of course, when you turn your head there’s nothing there.

 

You really do miss her.

 

But you can’t do anything to bring her back right now.

 

But you CAN do something to bring _them_ back..

 

And it was as simple as that.

 

“Sonia.”

 

“Mm?”

 

“I’m going to do it. I’m going to try.”

 

“R-really?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

She clasps her hands together, looking at you worriedly. “Alright, Hinata-san. We’ll do anything we can to help.”

  


“...Yeah. Thanks, Sonia.”

  


* * *

 

 

“You’re going to wHAT now?!”

 

You sigh. This is the part you were least looking forward to. “Calm down, Souda. I know it’s risky, but-”

 

“Yeah, it’s risky, man!” Souda whines, clutching his head. “You’re gonna go back to being _him_!”

 

“It’s _Hinata_.” Owari growls. "He went back to normal when we woke up, right?"

 

"Yeah, shut the hell up, Souda. This could be our only shot."

 

"You don't know that, Kuzuryuu- What if he- A teeny gangster like you-"

 

"What the FUCK did you just call me?!"

 

The five survivors had gathered in the hotel's cafeteria to discuss future plans. Together, you made a strange-looking group - Sonia wasn't the only one who had changed, after all.

 

Kuzuryuu changed the least out of everyone, especially since everyone was used to seeing him with an eyepatch in the simulation. The only really big differences were his height - he'd grown a full two inches - and his apparel; he'd ditched his pinstriped jacket for a white button-up. It was nice for him to be so unchanged.

 

Owari and Souda, on the other hand, are startlingly different. Owari is thin. Her skin lost its once-healthy glow, and her hair is now thin and dry. Her muscles atrophied during the last few years, so ever since she'd woken up she'd made a huge effort to gain back her weight - and her strength.

 

Souda had... well. Souda.

 

His hair had been dyed half white and half black, and when he'd woken up he'd been wearing a black contact and a red contact. It's a good thing he'd ditched them as soon as he'd looked in a mirror, because it was easily one of the creepiest things you'd ever seen. His hair was still Monokuma-style, but his black roots were coming in, so hopefully it wouldn't last much longer.

 

All of the survivors are slightly taller, more worn than you had been, and more serious. You had plenty of reason to be.

 

Since you'd woken up, you'd all moved from the Future Foundation's building in the park to your own cabins at Hotel Mirai, and the comatose students had been moved to the hospital on the third island. From the Future Foundation, Naegi, Kirigiri, and Togami had visited many times - and they'd stayed in the hotel cabins that had been home to your friends in the simulation. Naegi usually took Komaeda's cabin, Kirigiri stayed in Pekoyama's cabin, and Togami (funnily enough) had chosen to reside in the cabin of the SHSL Impostor, claiming it was "not as disappointingly barren as the other cabins".

 

It had been a long month - the five of you had spent practically every waking moment researching comas, the brain, the nervous system - anything you all could think of that may have to do with awakening your friends. Souda had even spent some time checking up on the science of video games. And yet, according to all of the research you'd done, it simply couldn't be done. The books agreed that there was nothing to be done for your friends.

 

Not that that would stop any of you.

  
It had become painfully obvious that if you wanted to save your friends, you would have to tap into the knowledge of your biggest fear. And doing so could have deadly consequences. But you couldn't just let the comatose students go. You just _had_ to convince your friends that you were making the right choice.

 

"Alright, fucker, if you think you can -"

 

"EEEP!!"

 

"Oi, pipe down, before I make you-"

 

"Please, everyone, don't-"

 

_"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!"_

 

" _GUYS_." You cut in. They look over at you guiltily. "Can you all chill for a second? You're giving me a headache."

 

"Right."

 

"My apologies."

 

"Our bad."

 

"Tch."

 

"Anyway," you continue, rubbing your temples. "I appreciate all of your concern, but this really isn't your decision to make. I'm sure the Future Foundation will keep you safe if things get - if I- well... anyway. I can't just leave them alone, you know? It's been a full month... I don't want to wait any longer, in case it becomes.. too late."

 

Kuzuryuu nodded. "I get that it's your decision, Hinata. I'm just concerned for your sake. Can you handle this?"

 

You hesitate. "Well.. I suppose we'll find out."

 

"When will you be making the attempt, Hinata-san?" asks Sonia.

 

"Now."

 

Souda squeaks. "Now?"

 

"Now."

 

"So... should we accompany you to the hospital? Or should we stay here?"

 

"You should come, to keep an eye on m- the situation."

 

"Then lead the way, Hinata-san. We're right behind you".

 

* * *

 

Your heart is beating much, _much_ too fast.

 

You stand in the middle of the hospital room, eyeing the patients lined up along the wall. They all look peaceful enough - but still. Much, much too still. If it weren't for the ventilators, you're sure they would be as still as stone.

 

Your friends are waiting outside the door. You know they're watching you, but you can't turn around to look at them. You're too nervous.

 

 _That_ part of your brain - where _his_ talents, knowledge, and thoughts reside - is closed off. In your mind's eye, it's almost like a walk-in closet in the back of your brain. Accessible, but separate.

 

Although you've never tried to access it before.

 

You can only hope he doesn't reside there anymore.

 

You shut your eyes tightly, breathing unevenly. This is it. The phrase "the moment you've all been waiting for" floats around your mind, and you snort a little. You're probably making this a much bigger deal than it is. All that's going to happen is you're going to access his talents and figure out how to save your friends.

 

Probably.

 

You take a deep breath. And then another. And another.

 

In.

 

Out.

 

In.

 

Out.

  

 

In.

 

Out-

 

And you fling the doors of your mind wide open.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is setting up a lot of stuff, and explaining some things too. Everything is riding on poor Hinata's shoulder's right now.. guess that's what happens when you're the protag. Feel free to comment if there are any problems in this chapter - or if you like the direction it's taking, or anything! I appreciate any feedback I get.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Kamukura POV at the beginning.

 

_Boring._

 

Your first thought.

 

_Boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring..._

 

The light of this room is boring. This hospital is boring. The beds are boring. The people in them are boring. The people outside the room are boring.

 

You're bored.

 

Why are you here? Of course, you already know. Your own actions bore you.

 

Junko would call it "despair-inducing". Maybe she'd be right. But she's gone now, so whatever interest she offered you is gone, too. She's boring now.

 

You _could_ do anything. You could bring your peers back (although they're so far below your level they hardly qualify as "peers") without any problem. But there wouldn't be any point to that. It wouldn't affect you.

 

There’s no point to anything on the island. And you can’t leave the island, no… _they_ wouldn’t allow it.

 

You haven't moved.

 

You don't move.

 

Right now, there's not a reason to move. _Ah, how... pointless._

 

Time passes.

 

Time passes.

 

Time passes.

 

Time passes.

 

The door opens.

 

"...Hinata..?"

 

....................

 

"Hinata, I'm coming in, okay?"

 

....................

 

"You're not Hinata, are you?"

 

"No."

 

....................

 

"Didn't think so."

 

....................

 

"Will you help us?"

 

"Why should I?"

 

....................

 

"Tch. What do you want?"

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"You must want something."

 

"Hm. For something amusing to happen, maybe."

 

He folds his arms. He hasn't changed since you last saw him. How... Ah, you're even bored of the word 'boring'.

 

"Wouldn't it be interesting to see what they'll all do when they wake up?"

 

"Doubtful. Their reactions are highly likely to be completely predictable."

 

"But there's a chance one of them may surprise you."

 

"Too small of a chance to be considered."

 

"Maybe. But it's more than nothing. It's got to be better than just standing here."

 

You sigh. "Right now, I am concentrating on my own thoughts. This is not as boring as whatever entertainment you could provide."

 

He rolls his eyes. "You're talented enough that you could help them while concentrating on your own thoughts. And it'll give you something else to think about. So, there's no reason for you NOT to do it, right?"

 

"Hm. I can't say there is."

 

"Then, even if it's just a tiny bit better, the option of waking them up is the one you should choose. Because it is better than the other option, even if it's just by a little."

 

You feel a flicker of something. You might even call it…

 

Amusement?

 

Perhaps he is a bit different than you remember.

 

You'll wring any amusement you can out of this. Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko's logic is solid enough. If it ends up being slightly interesting, you'll be shocked - or, slightly surprised, anyway.

 

"Hmph. Very well. I will help your… 'friends' regain consciousness."

 

"Thanks." He turns away. "About goddamn time."

 

* * *

  

"Oi, Hinata."

 

....................

 

"Hinata."

 

_...huh?_

 

"HINATA."

 

"Eh?!" Whoever's shaking you is about as gentle as Ibuki is mellow.

 

"Oi, oi! Cut that out!" You hiss, trying to push Owari away. "Ow, my head..."

 

It honestly feels like you've been hit by a bus.

 

"How are you feeling, Hinata-san?" asks Sonia concernedly. You pause - and finally take in your surroundings.

 

You must be in the storage room in the hospital. Unlike the simulation version, this storage room is completely bare and free of clutter. In fact, the only things inside the room are a hospital bed - the one you're lying on top of - as well as a closet and a desk. Sonia, Owari, and Kuzuryuu are also here with you; Sonia is perched at the end of your bed, Owari is standing right next to you, and Kuzuryuu is across the room, leaning against the door.

 

_What the... What the fuck happened?_

 

"Uh... What's going on? I was in the room with everyone... And where's Souda? Why-"

 

"Please remain calm, Hinata-san. There's nothing to worry about." Sonia smiles at you, seemingly full of energy. "I am glad to see you back to your normal self."

 

"My normal self? Wait. Does that mean-" Now you're reeling, unconsciously digging your nails into your skin and drawing blood.

 

"Don't be stupid, Hinata. There's no problem," Kuzuryuu scoffs.

 

"But... I became - I... I became Kamukura."

 

"Yeah."

 

"Then-"

 

Owari interrupts. "He did something to the comatose kids. Don't know what. Dragged a bunch of equipment in - well, actually, he dragged a bunch of shitty spare parts in, and turned it all into, uh... Well, like I said, I don't know what he did, but it looked pretty fuckin' impressive. Souda 'bout had a stroke. Then he, uh, examined everyone - hooked them up to his machines and said a bunch of stuff about how he was "stabilizing", "monitoring their responses", and "restarting the hemispheres" or some shit like that. Then he said - he said they'd 'wake up when they were ready'."

 

You let this sink in. They'd wake up when they were ready? That's it? It seemed so simple. After a month of being frustrated to the core because of not being able to figure out what to do... all you had to do was wait? It didn't seem right. But, as long as your friends were alright... "Okay." You relax a little bit. "Where's Souda, then?"

 

Owari grunts. "He's goin' all gaga over those machines you whipped up... I mean, the ones _Kamukura_ whipped up. He's not taking them apart or anything, 'cuz who knows what that'd do - if he did that and ended up hurtin' Old Man Nidai or one of the others, I'd beat 'em senseless."

 

"Ah. Right."

 

Owari smacked her fist against her palm and leaned against the wall, and Sonia giggled. The past month all five of you had grown to become extremely close, but those two - Sonia and Owari - were now practically inseparable. Souda called them 'soulfriends'. But then, Souda called the two of _you_ 'soulfriends', so who knew if they really were or not.

 

"Ah... So, if I became Kamukura, how did I get back to normal?" The three of them immediately look guilty.

 

"Well..."

 

"...What?"

 

"Well, you know that Togami is visiting the island currently, right?"

 

You blink. "Yeah...?"  _What does that have to do with anything?_

 

Owari purses her lips. "Well, apparently he heard that we were goin' to try somethin' with the comatose kids. Or he found out that Kamukura had awakened. Or somethin'."

 

"So...?"

 

"So, Kamukura'd finished helping or whatever, and he was still here. Like, you weren't comin' back or anythin'. So Togami shows up, looks around, and he just takes somethin' out of his back pocket, walks up to you, _tases_ you, and then just walks out, like nothin' happened!" Owari looks like she's trying not to burst out laughing. "Later, we asked him 'bout it, and he told us he'd learned he trick from Fukawa, only he called her "that unbearable nuisance". And he said he'd determined that "Hinata's situation was not too dissimilar to attempt the same trick". Then he called us a name and walked out."

 

Sonia hides a smile behind her hand. "I believe his parting words were, 'quit messing around. I don't have time to deal with plebeian problems'."

 

"Wait, wait, wait," you interrupt, holding up a hand. "Togami _tased_ me?" And it switched me back to normal?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"What the fuck."

 

Owari and Sonia began to laugh in earnest. You make a face and complain, "How is that even possible? Kamukura and I - our situation isn't even remotely similar to Fukawa and Genocider's!"

 

Sonia teases you. "Well, it is _remotely_ similar."

 

"Shut up."

 

Kuzuryuu snorts. "Well, in any case, don't expect me to explain. Not like I'd know. I don't think Togami even knew it would work. He just did it anyway."

 

"Oh, so he tased me, not even knowing it would work?" You groan and bury your head in your hands. "Well, that explains why I feel like shit."

 

"Sorry, Hinata-san. But you can see why we're so excited, right?" Sonia balls her hands into fists, looking at you excitedly.

 

"Eh..?"

 

Owari gives you a _'well, duh!'_ look. "Our friends! They're going to wake up for sure now!"

 

"Yeah... yeah! That's... so amazing!" You move to get out of bed, and Owari grabs you in a headlock. Sonia and Kuzuryuu grin even as you protest, seeing what she's up to, and move over to envelop you in a giant hug. Half-laughing, half-crying, the four of you can't seem to let go for a while. When you finally break apart, there isn't a single dry eye or dull smile. Sonia takes out her handkerchief and blows her nose in a very unladylike fashion, which makes you smile.

 

....................

 

_Crap... I just realized._

 

"Oh no.. Hey, Guys?"

 

They're still smiling brightly and joking around, but they turn to you. "What?"

 

".....What are we going to do when they wake up?"

 

....................

 

"Ah. Shit."

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

The pitter-patter of the rain on your umbrella soothes you. You stand silently, gazing up at the sky with unfocused eyes. Unlike most people, you really don't mind the rain. In fact, most days you'd prefer rain to sun. There was something about the smell, the atmosphere of rain that soothed you. And you really didn't mind lightning or thunder. So you were glad to finally see a storm on this island, so you could clear your mind.

  
  
You allowed Kamukura to help your friends, but you've hardly visited them since then. It's been three and a half weeks, and still no one has opened their eyes. Anxiety overtakes you for a moment, and you scowl up at the sky.

“Fuck… what if it wasn't enough?”

As time passes, you've become more and more convinced that Kamukura hasn’t really helped your friends, that you've all failed - that they’ll never open their eyes again. Every day, you’d gotten closer to your breaking point.

But today… well, something as simple as rain had cooled your mind. You haven’t been to the hospital in a while, but no one would be able to stop you from visiting your friends today.

You linger outside a little longer, but you’re anxious to go in and look at their faces. All of a sudden, you have an almost indescribable feeling - it’s as if you believe that since you can’t see them, they don’t exist. You need to walk in, right now, and make sure your friends are all still there - still alive, still real. You reach for the door handle, and -

Someone clears their throat behind you, and you jerk backwards… but sigh in relief when you see who it is.

“Oh - hey, Naegi.”

He waves at you, an endearing smile stretching across his face. “Hinata-san! You’re up pretty early!”

“How many times have I told you not to add -san to my name? We’re friends, and anyway you’re higher-up then I am - well, I’m not even IN the Future Foundation, so -”

Naegi bounds up the steps and bumps your arm lightly. “Ah, I know. I’ll stop… Maybe.” This time, his grin is unmistakably sly.

“Oi, you-!”

Laughing, Naegi pushes past you and escapes into the hospital. You stand there a moment longer, trying to rearrange your face into a neutral expression instead of the goofy grin you’re wearing now. Naegi is wise beyond his years sometimes, sure, and always an inspiration to those around him - but he’s also just a five-year-old.

Closing your umbrella, you step into the hospital lobby. It's still pretty early in the day, so the hospital seems serene. The plants still haven't lost their luster, and the ceiling fan's quiet _whirring_  is a comfortable addition to the atmosphere. Naegi is standing in the middle of the room, shaking his hair out.

You snicker. “You look like a dog.”

“You are a dog.”

“Takes one to know one.”

He looks like he’s about to crack up, but a strange sound from upstairs causes the both of you to pause. It was too quiet for you to even realize what it was that you heard.

“...Naegi? Is anyone else here?”

His eyebrows furrow. “Well… I saw Souda, Sonia, and Owari playing video games at the hotel before I came here.”

“And I just came from Kuzuryuu’s cabin… he’s sick in bed.”

“Ah…”

“Maybe Togami or Kirigiri-”

“No, they left on the ship I arrived in yesterday.”

“...Let’s go check it out.”

“Right.”

You reach for the door to the hall, but stop in your tracks. You can hear the noise again - and this time, you can tell what it is.

“Is that…?”

Laughter - high pitched, keening laughter is coming from upstairs.

Naegi looks stricken. “It’s coming from the room where all the patients are!”

You bolt to the door, throwing it open violently and running through the hallway faster than you’d have thought was possible for you. Naegi’s somehow keeping up with you, despite his size. When you reach the room though, you hesitate.

“Hinata! Go!” Naegi opens up the door and pushes you inside the room in one fluid motion. Eyes opening wide in horror, you freeze at the scene before you. You can hardly believe what’s happening, even though you can see it with your own two eyes.

 

Tsumiki… awake.

Tsumiki, eyes open.

Tsumiki, out of bed and on her own two feet.

Tsumiki, laughing… and laughing, and laughing.

Tsumiki,

hands wrapped around Komaeda’s throat.

 

For a moment, you don’t breathe. Or blink. Or even think. You can’t even begin to process this… Tsumiki, wide awake, standing in between her bed and Komaeda’s, squeezing the life out of him with a crazed glint in her eye. The monitors are beeping furiously. The light in the room is too green. There’s drool running down from Tsumiki’s mouth-

Naegi hits you in the back of the head, hard.

“Hey -” you splutter, stars exploding before your eyes.

“Hinata, _wake up_! Help me get her off of him!” Naegi runs forward and throws his arms around Tsumiki’s waist.

You’re horrified at yourself. How could you have just stood there, watching her as - wait, you still haven’t moved.

You rush forward and try to pry Tsumiki’s hands from Komaeda’s throat. To your horror, Komaeda’s body is wilting - he's past fighting back. Not that his body could have done much, anyway. Tsumiki’s grip is strong… she’s definitely drawn blood. But you still find the strength to loosen her grip, and ultimately, pull her hands away from his throat.

“Tsumiki, please, get a hold of yourself!”

“Tsumiki! Stop! What are you trying to do?!”

The two of you wrestle her away from the bed and topple onto the floor. Naegi quickly pins her legs, so you grab her arms.

Tsumiki laughs. And laughs. And then she stops laughing. “Why aren’t I dead? I should be with… Why is everyone alive? We all agreed to die. For her.” her breathing becomes labored. “If I didn’t die for h-her… I-If I don’t get to be with her, then… what was everything I d-did back then?” And you finally notice that she’s been crying this whole time.

 

Laughing and crying and trying to kill someone. But… for some reason, after hearing her speak… your doubts have faded away. You’re sure that Tsumiki can overcome her despair. You and your friends can do it.

“Rest easy now, Tsumiki-san.” Naegi releases her legs, and she doesn't try to escape. He pulls a syringe out of his back pocket and slides it into her arm.

_Wait, when did he -_

He shoots you an apologetic look. “It’s a tranquilizer. In case Kamukura - well…”

“Oh.’

“Hinata-san?” Tsumiki is still crying, but silently, and she’s stopped laughing entirely. “Is that… you?”

“Yeah, Tsumiki. It’s me. Do you feel better now?”

“Yeah.” She yawns. “I disappointed her, but… I still…” And, with that, she falls asleep.

You stare at her for a few seconds, lost in thought. Then -

“Naegi - _Komaeda_!”

“Ah!”

The two of you scramble over each other to get up and get back to Komaeda’s side. You search for a pulse on his neck, shuddering when you see the blood - and the bruises already starting to form on their pale skin.

“He's alive!” you nearly faint with relief.

“Oh, thank goodness.” Naegi falls back against the wall. “We were lucky. She didn't take off their oxygen mask, so as soon as we got her to let go…”

“He…” You swallow hard. “He really looked like he wasn't, um, alive, though…”

Naegi puts a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “It looked worse than it actually was. She probably started choking him right before we walked in.”

You bite your lip. You hope he doesn't notice the tears pricking your eyes. You were so worried that one of your friends was going to die.. you never want to see another body again.

 

Pale light streams in through the window, and your friends lie peacefully in their beds. Naegi stands behind you, tapping away into his phone. Tsumiki is sprawled unceremoniously across the floor.

You gently bend over and pick her up. “Are you contacting the others?”

“Yeah,” Naegi doesn’t even glance up. “They’ll be here soon.”

You tuck Tsumiki into her bed and collapse in a chair in the corner of the room.

 

“Well. Looks like they can wake up.”

 

* * *

 

"Naegi.. they're taking too long."

 

"Eh?"

 

"The others. You said they'd be here soon. But it's been a while."

 

"Has it?"

 

"Yes!" Irritation colors your tone. "It's been a half hour at the very least."

 

"Ah... Well, I mean, I just _assumed_ since it was such a huge thing they'd come right away. None of them actually answered me, though.."

 

You groan and slowly get out of your chair. "Oh, come on... I'll just go track them down then."

 

"I'll stay here. Just in case."

 

"Right." You walk towards the door and slide it open, but pause, facing away from your friend. "Hey.. Naegi?"

 

"Hm?"

 

You try to sound unconcerned, but a hint of anxiety creeps into your voice. "Double check on Komaeda for me, please?"

 

"Of course."

 

"Thank you." Good 'ol Naegi. He doesn't ask why you want him to. He doesn't say anything like, 'again? But you've already checked so many times'. Who knows what you would have said in response?

 

Naegi interrupts your thoughts. "Hurry back, Hinata!"

 

"What? ...Oh, yeah, I'll be right back!" You hurriedly step into the hallway and make your way to the entryway of the hospital. Your footsteps echo too loudly and the smell of the place had been giving you a headache, so you're relieved to step outside and into the rain. Without even bothering to worry about slipping on the slick road, you begin running towards Kuzuryuu's cabin.

 

_Being out here feels much better. Even though the rain's not cold it's extremely refreshing... especially considering the humidity. Why don't more people like the rain?_

 

You're out of breath when you arrive. Banging on the door, you shout "Kuzuryuu! It's me, open up!"

 

No answer. _Maybe he's sleeping?_

 

You try the door - it's unlocked. But Kuzuryuu is not in bed, or in the bathroom - it takes less than a minute for you to determine that he isn't in his cabin at all.

 

"Okay..." you mutter to yourself, looking around in dismay. "He seemed too sick to get out of bed for no reason... maybe he got Naegi's message and started to the hospital, and I just missed him? That must be it." You pause. "Then, I'll just go get the others.. Naegi said they were at the hotel, which must mean the lobby.." Still muttering to yourself, you leave Kuzuryuu's cabin and jog to the hotel. Flinging open the door, you yell "Hey, guys...!" and trail off when you see how empty the lobby is.

 

Same blue checkered carpet, same fake plants in the corner, same monitor on the back wall, but not a single soul to be found. "Oh, come on, they've gotta be here.. GUUUUUUUUYS!" You yell up the stairs. "ARE YOU UP THEEEERE?"

 

A distant voice calls back. "...Oi, is that you, Hinata?"

 

"Ah!" You take the stairs two at a time, your relief almost overpowering you. _Of course they're fine, you're just being stupid... Just because they're not where you expect them to be doesn't mean anything's happened..._

 

They're all snacking together, casually huddled around a table. When you come into sight they wave you over, grinning enthusiastically. Which irritates you slightly. Before anyone can greet you, you walk up to their table and frown down at them. "Why didn't any of you respond to Naegi?"

 

Souda squints up at you. "Eh?"

 

"I _mean_ ," you say, pinching the bridge of your nose in frustration, "Why didn't you guys respond when Naegi texted you?" 

 

"Oh.. Sorry, Hinata-san, I left my phone downstairs."

 

"Mine's dead."

 

"Mine too."

 

"Of course they are." You sigh. "Wait a minute - Kuzuryuu, you're here too? I thought you were sick?"

 

Kuzuryuu is more glassy-eyed and slumped over than he usually is. "Yeah. I'm sick. Can't a sick person still get hungry?" The sarcasm in his words is ruined by the scratchiness of his voice and the fit of coughing that follows his sentence.

 

"Anyway, what's up, Hinata?" While the rest of your friends are snacking, Owari seems to be feasting. She's still enthusiastically chewing her food as she waits for your response.

 

"Tsumiki woke up."

 

There's almost no reaction. Everyone is staring up at you blankly. "What?"

 

"TSUMIKI. SHE WOKE. UP."

 

"Really????" Sonia yelps. Kuzuryuu sits up straight, Owari's eyes bug out of her head, and Souda falls backwards out of his chair.

 

"Oh, so NOW you all react - "

 

"How is she?" Kuzuryuu interrupts.

 

"Did she talk to you?" Souda clumsily gets to his feet.

 

"Could she move? Was she aware of what happened in the simulation?" Sonia frets.

 

"Um-"

 

"What happened?" Owari has put down her food.

 

"She, uh, well.. She tried to strangle Komaeda."

 

....

 

" _What_??"

 

"Naegi and I heard weird noises, so we went up to their room, and Tsumiki was awake. Standing next to Komaeda. Trying to strangle him. And she was.. laughing."

 

"Shit, Hinata.."

 

"I know." You swallow, hard. "But... I don't know, I have a feeling that she'd just woken up... and was confused, and not in her right mind, and... I think she was beginning to realize what was going on around her right before Naegi put her to sleep."

 

Souda leaps backwards, looking completely horrified. "HE _KILLED_ HER?!"

 

"No! No, no, he shot her with a tranquilizer." 

 

"Oh my god... don't scare me like that, dude."

 

" _Anyway_..." You take out your phone and text Naegi. "I think we're just going to have to sit down and talk about this."

 

Souda sits down, and you pull a chair up to their table. "We need to decide what we're going to do about this. I'm kind of worried about how Tsumiki could have done that. I mean, she's been in a coma all this time, right? How could she be -"

 

"Hinata-san?" Sonia interrupts you.

 

"Eh - what?"

 

"Is Komaeda-san... alright?" Everyone is staring at you seriously. Sonia almost seems to be holding her breath.

 

"Oh." You do your best to give them a reassuring smile. "Yes. He survived. I mean, she didn't kill- um... he's fine."

 

"Oh, thank goodness." Sonia looks like she is about to reach over and pat you reassuringly, but seems to think better of it. "He's not hurt?"

 

"Nah, just bruised. Tsumiki never took off his oxygen mask, so as soon as she let go he could breathe again."

 

Souda scratches his head. "Well, even if it was Komaeda, it would've sucked for someone to die for real."

 

Awkward silence. Your eyebrow twitches and you try not to glare at Souda. "...So, like I was saying earlier... why was Tsumiki strong enough to be able to do that?"

 

Owari leans forward. "That might be my fault. See, every day I've been going around an' moving everybody - so they won't be so weak when they wake up an' all, you know?"

 

"Plus, maybe it was like, she was using all of her strength at once? So she would've been really tired if she kept it up for much longer or something?"

 

"Maybe." You allow. "But, whatever the case is, we have to make sure there are no other.. accidents. We have to decide what we're going to do, and fast."

 

"I was thinking the same thing." Kuzuryuu speaks up. "Actually, I already thought of a solution."

 

"Oh?"

 

"Two actually. Maybe three. Anyway, we have to keep everyone restrained."

 

"Really?" Owarihums loudly. "Won't that, you know, just make everyone more mad when they wake up or somethin'?"

 

"Whether it does or it doesn't, it has to happen," Kuzuryuu says firmly. "It's safer."

 

"I agree." Souda winces. "I don't wanna be strangled."

 

Kuzuryuu ignores him. "Next, we need a panic button in that room. For when people wake up. And if it's hit, we need to know about it no matter where we are on the island."

 

You nod thoughtfully. "Good idea. That sounds like a job for Souda."

 

"Exactly. And the last thing is that there needs to be at least one person in the room with our classmates at all times."

 

"I dunno about that..." Souda frowns. "That's like.. everyone would have to be in there for almost five hours a day."

 

"Yep."

 

"But we might have to give up sleep..."

 

"Souda!"

 

"Right, right, sorry.. Just kidding, they're more important, I know.."

 

"Anyway, didn't Kirigiri-san just get the Future Foundation to agree to let doctors and nurses to come here?"

 

"She did," Kuzuryuu allowed. "But we'll be watching our friends until they get here, which will be in... a week. Does everyone agree to those three things?"

 

The group nodded. You look down at your phone. "Oh! By the way, Naegi said he was letting us talk about what happened ourselves, but we should visit Tsumiki when we're done here."

 

"Okay. Anyone else got anything to say? No? Alright, let's go."

 

Souda looks up. "Wait, what about deciding when each person will have a.. 'shift'?"

 

"We'll just go alphabetically. Except for you. You're going first so you can use that time to make our panic button system."

 

Souda wilts. "So much for finishing that dating sim.."

 

Owari snickers. Kuzuryuu sneezes, and Sonia gets out of her chair and stretches. "Well then... let's be off!"

 

You feel much more at ease after talking with your friends, but you're glad to be going back to the hospital. You wanted to see Tsumiki again.. And you were still waiting to hear what Naegi had to say after checking Komaeda, but...

 

_That's not the main reason I want to go back to the hospital, of course. Not at all._

 

_..._

 

_Nope. Not worried about him at all.. Seriously. Not one bit..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long to upload! I had a big show, and then I lost my notebook. Whoops. Anyway, it's a bit short, but I wanted to separate some events so this is fine. Things seem to be picking up, huh? If you want, leave a comment and let me know what you think so far!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sdr2 survivors just wanna have fun.

Carnage, as far as the eye can see.

You look down and your hands are drenched in blood. Then they're pulling the trigger. They're squeezing throats, lighting fires, slashing skin.

You're screaming and screaming, but no sound leaves you. Your lips don't move, your eyes don't shed any tears, and your body doesn't shake, even as you collapse inward on yourself. Truly, this is despair.. And you revel in it.

Once more, your hands reach out of their own accord, to take another life, and...

* * *

You wake up.

Groaning, you slowly sit up, wiping the sweat off your forehead with shaking hands. You've been having nightmares, which is to be expected, but still... this one was bad, to say the least.

_Who knows if they're even nightmares. They could be memories..._

__

"No!" You stop yourself, balling your hands into fists and gritting your teeth. "Nightmares. That's all they were. Nightmares."

Your empty cabin has no reply to offer you.

"Right..." You run your fingers through your hair, looking towards the window. Even with the blinds closed, you can see sunlight sneaking its way into your cabin. The room is muggy, and when you swing your feet over the side of the bed to stand you notice the smell. "Ugh..." Your skin is glistening with sweat. Breakfast would have to wait - you were in desperate need of a shower.

_And I was so ready for some comfort food, too..._

Stepping out of your boxers, you groggily slip inside the bathroom and turn the shower on. When you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror you scrunch up your nose and turn away. _God, I look like a hot mess. No, scratch that, I'm not even a hot mess.. I'm just a mess._

After stepping into your shower, you rest your head against the wall and sigh. Yesterday's events were encouraging, sure, but Tsumiki hadn't woken up a second time. And no one else had showed signs of waking up. During your shift at the hospital, you'd gone around "checking" your friends (poking Teruteru in the shoulder, smoothing Koizumi's hair down, talking to Gundam, even holding Ibuki's hand) but none of them had so much as flinched.  You'd pointedly ignored Komaeda's bed, preferring not to see the bruises that had recently formed on their neck. Some of your friends had obviously sustained injuries, sure, but none of them were recent. It really bothered you that Tsumiki had tried to kill Komaeda as soon as she'd woken up - but only because you didn't know why, of course. If you didn't know her motive, then how could you protect them... or any of your other friends? Were her actions just a spur-of-the-moment thing, or was there more to it? After all, Tsumiki had harbored strong feelings for that.. witch, Enoshima Junko. Maybe she had influenced Tsumiki to hurt Komaeda, just in case she survived the simulation? No, that didn't make much sense.. right? Maybe she was so confused about waking up after "dying" that she just had a meltdown. That sort of made sense.. actually, what triggered it might not even matter as long as it was a one-time thing and she didn't try it again. That's what you hope, anyway..

With a start, you realize you haven't even begun to actually shower, and you must have been standing still for at _least_ five minutes. Quickly grabbing some soap you wash up as best as you can, and within the next ten minutes you're stumbling around your room, grabbing clothes and fumbling to pull them on. You're anxious to get to your friends and see if there have been any more developments. Since Souda had finished making his alarm yesterday there was no chance of someone else waking up, but maybe Tsumiki had come to. Or maybe someone had started moving but just hadn't woken up. Even if one of them was just twitching in their sleep it would be progress.

Clumsily slipping on your shoes you exit your cabin, briskly walking to Hotel Mirai. The sight that greets you on the second floor is a calming one: Sonia sits alone, sipping tea in the corner of the room. When she sees you, her eyes sparkle and she cheerily calls you over with an excited wave.

"Hey, Sonia!"

"Hinata-san! How are you doing?"

"Um - good, thanks. I'll sit with you in a sec, I'm just gonna make some coffee." After pulling a chipped mug out from a cabinet under the counter, you set about making yourself a pot of coffee pretty quickly. Usually you only put a little bit of sugar in your coffee, but today you go a little overboard with heaping sugar into your drink. When you get back to where Sonia is sitting you notice she's only half-done with her tea. _Good, now I can ask her some questions._

 

"Wait, Sonia - why aren't you at the hospital? Didn't you have the "morning" shift, or..?"

She raises an eyebrow. "Hinata, you do know that it is eleven, correct?"

"Ah." No. "Yes."

"My shift was five to ten."

"Right, right, gotcha..." _Whoops_. "So, did anything happen while you were there?"

"Yes, actually! Pekoyama-san seemed to be sleep-talking."

"Woah, seriously?"  You lean eagerly into the table.

"I couldn't tell what she was saying, exactly, but she was definitely sleep-talking! Or, rather, sleep-mumbling."

"That's awesome, Sonia!" You sip your coffee, which isn't so bad when it's this sweet. "Kuzuryuu would be so happy if she woke up next."

"Right?" She giggles. "Kuzuryuu-san's been so open about his feelings lately, I wouldn't be surprised if he proposed to her seconds after she opened her eyes!"

"I would! Usually he's the one who's all, 'You can't do that! You're only so-many-years-old! Practically a toddler!'"

"That does sound like him!" You both laugh enthusiastically. Sonia even snorts a little, which makes you laugh even harder.

 

“No, what if the one who proposed actually ended up being Peko? Can you imagine?”

Sonia claps her hands together gleefully. “Kuzuryuu-san would nearly have a stroke!” The two of you snicker into your drinks for a minute before you’re able to settle down.

“Hey, Sonia.. It’s been awhile since we’ve joked around about our friends, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, it has..” She sets her cup down and rests her chin in her hand.  “However, I do not feel guilty about it anymore. I have faith that all of our friends will be revived.”

“Yeah, me too.” You tilt your head back slightly. “You know what? It’s been work, work, work around here. Why don’t we do something fun for a change?”

“Something fun?” Her eyes grow wide. “I would quite like that! What do you have in mind?”

“Um..” you lean backwards in your chair and look up, pressing your lips together. “Well.. maybe we could camp out together? On the beach or something?”

“Oooooooh!” Sonia puts her hands on her heart. “Hinata-san, I think that is a most wonderful idea!”

“Really?” You rub the back of your head awkwardly, but smile at her nonetheless. “I came up with it just now.. But we haven’t done anything together in a while, so I just figured.. and if we camped on the beach, we could play in the ocean, and maybe make a fire and try some s’mores.. Or play volleyball, I know that’s the first thing Owari will suggest.. On second thought, maybe Owari would suggest the s’mores and then volleyball..”

Sonia puts a hand up to her mouth, giggling. “I think you have her figured out, Hinata-san. Oh! If we were to have this camp out, could we also bring a flashlight and tell ghost stories?”

“Well, I guess so..”

Sonia jumps out of her chair excitedly. “Hinata-san! Thank you for thinking of this! Shall I go tell the others?” She’s almost bouncing up and down in her excitement.

“Yeah! Um, my hospital shift is seven p.m. to twelve a.m., so maybe you guys could start at ten? At least then Kuzuryuu will have a chance to participate before his shift, which is after mine..”

“Right!” Now she’s _literally_ bouncing up and down in her excitement. “I’ll go tell the others! And don’t worry about setting up, we’ll handle it during your shift, okay? Bye!” She gives you a quick, one-armed hug before dashing away. _Man, it’s like I lit a fire right under her._

But you’re very happy with this plan. After all, it was true that the five of you hadn’t done much as far as ‘fun’ since waking up. Your responsibilities had kept you focused on your friends almost 100% of the time. It would be nice to be able to focus on something else for once.

Stretching lazily, you finish your coffee and get up to set the mug in the sink. You’d been looking forward to some comfort food, but there was only an hour or so until lunch so you figured you might as well wait. Hmm, what to do until then… You groaned when you realized you were supposed to help Naegi with some of the “legal documents” allowing staff on the island. _There goes my day.. Well, at least I have the whole beach camp-out thing to look forward to._

* * *

You sigh in relief as you check your watch. “Hey, Naegi, I’m gonna go next door for my shift, okay?”

Finally, _finally_ it was seven o’ clock. The two of you were in the hospital’s supply room, and it had been a long process. In fact, you’d pretty much been helping Naegi with his papers all day, only stopping for lunch, dinner, and bathroom breaks. Currently, he was using the supply room’s desk, and you were using the bed, which had legal documents spread haphazardly all around you. Seriously, it was amazing what they needed to do just to let some doctors and helpers onto the island..

Naegi looked up from his papers, frowning a little. “Hinata-kun, why didn’t you guys include me when you were deciding on these ‘shifts’?”

“What? Oh, because you’re busy, aren’t you? Besides, you’re not always on the island, you know? Occasionally, you leave.”

“Oh.” He considers that, thoughtfully tapping his pen on the desk. “Well, if you guys want, I can help you until I leave, you know?”

“Thanks, Naegi!” You swing your legs off the bed. “But that’s okay. It just feels like something the five of us need to do, you know?”

Naegi nods. “Right, I get that. Well, I can go with you to keep you company at least, right?”

“Sure. It’ll probably be boring, though.”

He scoots his chair back, standing up and straightening the papers on the desk. “No, it won’t! I’ll be with you. That’ll make it better, right?”

“Wow, for someone who called me a dog yesterday, that’s pretty nice.”

He snickers. “Come on, let’s just go watch them.”

When you enter the room, everyone is as still as they always are. Gesturing around you, you raise an eyebrow at Naegi. “Pretty interesting, right?”

“Hey, I’ve got a game of cards with me. How about it?”

“What game?”

He pulls them out of his pocket. “It’s called Five Crowns”.

“Alright, I’ll play.. why not?”

He sits down in the middle of the room, beginning to shuffle the deck already. “Okay, Hinata-kun. First, we have a hand of three…”

* * *

 

Your phone rings loudly and you and Naegi jump about a foot in the air. Blinking, you slowly realize that you and Naegi had fallen asleep. On the floor. While you were supposed to be watching the comatose students. “Jesus..” You wince and sit up, fishing in your pocket for your phone. Naegi sits up as well, rubbing his eyes sheepishly. “..I feel like a kindergartner..”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” You raise the phone to your ear, answering slowly. “Hello?”

“Oi, Hinata. We just wanted to check how everything was going.”

“Oh, it’s all good, it’s all good. You know, we were just.. playing cards and all.” _For a couple of hours, before we lied down to talk and ended up falling asleep.._

“Cool. Listen, I’m heading over for my shift, and the girls wanted me to tell you to grab some blankets on your way to the beach.”

You stand up, knees cracking. “Sure, I can do that. Is that the only reason you called?”

 

“Yeah, pretty much.

...I didn’t want to forget, so I just told you now instead of waiting until I got there..”

You choke back a laugh. “Yeah, that’s cool.. Thanks for calling, talk to you later.”

“Bye.” Click.

“That nerd..” You shake your head and offer Naegi your hand. He takes it, unsteadily pulling himself to his feet. “Man, I guess I should go to bed, huh..”

“Yeah, you probably should. I won’t be so lucky.” You pat him on the back. “Sleep well, Naegi.”

“Thanks! Come on, you’re done here, let’s walk out together.”

You blink. “Oh. Sure. Just.. let me say goodbye, first?”

His eyes widen in realization. “Oh, okay! I’ll wait outside the door!” And with that, he’s gone.

You try not to take too much time as you walk around the room, squeezing people’s hands. Each time, you say softly, “Goodnight, Ibuki.. Goodnight, Nidai.. Goodnight, Tanaka..” You hadn’t really done this before, but - well, why not?  Since you had the evening shift it made sense, and it was comforting to you.

At the last bed, you hesitate to touch him. If he were awake, would he find the gesture disgusting, or would he not mind? You really don’t know. Finally, you settle for patting him on the shoulder. “Goodnight, Komaeda.” Taking one last look around the room, you speak clearly. “I hope you all wake up soon.”

* * *

“WHOOOOOO!” Owari shouts into your ear. “I’m so PUMPED, man! I CAN DO ANYYYTHIIIIIIIING!” She jumps back, raising her fists in the air triumphantly. You’ve been at the beach for approximately four seconds and you already fear for your life.

“Jeez, Owari! You’re gonna bust an eardrum!” Chuckling to yourself, you take in the scene before you. Close to the path, there’s a huge tent set up, and not too far away a volleyball net stretches across the sand. There’s a fire pit as well, and you notice several used skewers lying on the ground. _Man, they had the s’mores without me… Of course, I forgot Kuzuryuu’s sweet tooth.._

Owari grabs your arm and practically drags you into the tent. “C’mon, it’s time to play a game!”

“Owari, wait - hEY - !” You trip over the entrance of the tent, landing hard on top of the blankets you were holding. “You could have given me some warning!”

You hear her boisterous laugh behind you. Someone pats your shoulder, and you realize Sonia and Souda were already inside. Scooting forward, you grin sheepishly at them. “Hey, guys..”

Owari climbs inside the tent and zips it up, sealing you all inside. Souda waves lazily at you, and Sonia clasps her hands together, greeting you with an enthusiastic, “We were just about to play a game! I’m so glad you can join us!”

You nervously look from face to face. “What game..?”

“We haven’t decided yet.” Souda looks tired, but enthusiastic at the same time. Clearly he was interested in playing a game, no matter what it was.

“TRUTH OR DARE!”

“Nah, I’m not really feeling that one..”

Owari sticks her tongue out at you. “Buzzkill!”

“What about ‘Spin the Bottle’?!” Souda’s eyes sparkle.

“With only four people? Dude, that’s lame..”

Sonia nods fervently. “I agree. How about ‘Would You Rather’?”

Owari shakes her head. “Man, coming up with those are so hard.”

You tap your chin. “Then.. what about ‘Never Have I Ever’?”

“ _I’m_ cool with that one.”

“Yeah, man! I’m so ready to lose this!”

Sonia tilts her head. “How do you play?”

“Umm.. Let’s see, it’s been a while… Okay, you hold up your hands like this,” you demonstrate for them, splaying your fingers, “and people go around the circle saying ‘never have I ever.. whatever. ‘Never have I eaten a shark’, or something. And the people who _have_ eaten a shark have to put one finger down. Then, the last person with fingers up wins.”

“Interesting! I would like to go first.” Sonia raises her hands cheerily, and you all mimic her. “Alright.. Never have I ever visited a country west of Europe!”

“Really??” You’re honestly surprised. “Wouldn’t you have had some business over there, or something press-related..?”

“Nope, never!”

“Alrighty then.. what about you two?” Both Owari and Souda have put a finger down.

“Athletic competitions, of course!” Owari looks like she’s ready to jump out of her seat and participate in one.

“They have some cool tank expos, man..” Souda pulls his beanie down awkwardly.

“Alright! Hinata-san, your turn!” Sonia is almost too eager to continue this game.

“Uh, Never have I ever.. gone skydiving?”

Sonia puts down a finger.

Souda scoffs. “I can do better than that! Never have I ever met a celebrity!”

Owari and Sonia both put a finger down.

Owari takes a while to think of one. “....Oh! Never have I ever participated in a talent show!”

No one puts a finger down. You’re starting to feel slightly self conscious, since you’re the only one who’s still at ten.

“Hmm.. Never have I ever worn a maid’s uniform.”

Owari puts a finger down and Souda chokes. _Honestly_..

Your turn. “Never have I ever.. uh.. been on a plane.”

All three of them put fingers down. _Really_?!

Souda cracks his knuckles. “Never have I ever been attracted to someone of the same sex.”

You put a finger down without much thought, already anticipating the next question. But Souda almost can’t contain himself. “Woah, Hinata, really?? ..I didn’t know you were gay!”

“I-” your cheeks heat up a little, but you aren’t bothered too much. “Technically, I’m not. I’m bi. It’s not really a big deal though...”

“Oh, okay! I guess you learn something new everyday..”

Sonia smiles at you. “I’m glad you were willing to share that with us, Hinata-san.”

“Yeah, it _really_ wasn’t a big deal..” You try to shrug as nonchalantly as you can.

“Okay, enough talk! I’m ready to lose this! Never have I ever..”

Most of the night passes smoothly. After playing ‘Never Have I Ever’ (Owari lost first, you won), the four of you end up playing ‘Would You Rather’ after all, and that’s about when the late-night giddiness sets in. You play volleyball, mess around in the ocean a little bit, and are in the middle of a game of tag when you hear your cell phone ringing.

“Guys, guys, timeout!” You put your hands on your knees, trying to catch your breath. Sonia and Souda do the same, while Owari continues to run across the beach, not even caring that the game had been paused. You giggle a little, and then call out to them, “I’ll just go answer it real quick!”

“Hurry baaaaaaack~!” Owari yells.

You jog lightly over to your tent and crawl inside, searching on your hands and knees for the phone you had just heard ringing. “Ah!” Picking it up, you’re about to check who called you when..

BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING

You jump, clamping your hands to your ears. _What, what is this..!?_

Souda’s panicked cry comes from outside the tent. “It’s the alarm I built!”

_Shit!_ You grab your phone and rush out of the tent, motioning for your three friends to follow you as you start up the path. Even though the alarm isn’t anywhere near quiet you can clearly hear Owari bemoaning the loss of the camp-out.

“Hinata-san!” Sonia is panting, but she manages to keep up very well. “Was it Kuzuryuu-san who called you?”

You quickly check your phone, already beginning to sweat. “Yeah, it was!”

“Call him!” Souda hollars. He’s in the very back of the group, desperately trying to keep up.

You waste no time in dialing, and Kuzuryuu picks up immediately. “Hinata!”

“Kuzuryuu!” You’re out of breath. “Wh-what’s going on?!”

“Well-”

“Wait, what’s that in the background?”

“..Look, just get over here, okay?”

“Yeah, sure, but.. is someone crying?”

“Don’t worry about it, nobody’s hurt or anything-”

“Wait, there’s a second voice - Kuzuryuu, is someone screaming?”

“Hinata-”

“...What?”

He sighs. Kuzuryuu doesn’t sound panicked, but he does sound.. irritated?

“Look, just come over here, alright? I’m sorry I pulled the alarm at like four thirty in the morning.”

“Don’t worry about it?” You glance at the others behind you, a bewildered look on your face.

“And, Hinata..”

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna need you to pick up some gummies on your way here.”

…………….

 **  
** “ _Gummies??_ ”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! This was a long one. Hope you all like it! Please leave me a comment letting me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the world of the living, Tsumiki and Saionji.  
> Warning for mentions of abusive relationships.

 

The enormous hospital room that had been so devoid of sound and energy the past few months was now the most boisterous place on the island. And it was giving _everyone_ a headache.

 

Souda tries his best to calm the situation. “Saionji, could you please, just try to-”

 

“NO!” Saionji’s piercing shriek echoes off the walls. Currently, she was confined to her bed - and honestly shouldn’t have been able to move very well, regardless (not that a little thing like muscle atrophy would be able to stop her). Sonia is standing next to her bed, Souda and Owari are right behind Sonia, and Kuzuryuu is preoccupied with calming Tsumiki down. You stand somewhat in between the two beds, next to Ibuki. You’re holding onto the pack of gummies Kuzuryuu asked for, waiting to see if Saionji can calm down on her own.

 

_So far, it’s not looking very good._

 

“NO! NO! YOU THINK I FUCKING CARE THAT YOU’RE HERE? ALL THAT MATTERS IS THAT I GET MY HANDS ON THAT FILTHY, TRASHY PIGSHIT, AND-”

 

You quickly tune Saionji out and turn your attention to Tsumiki. Apparently, she’d woken up towards the very beginning of Kuzuryuu’s shift - but when Kuzuryuu had tried to talk to her, she hadn’t said anything and had remained pretty motionless. After a little while of trying to engage Tsuniki in conversation, Saionji had woken up, caused some havoc - and that was when Kuzuryuu had gone to call you and press the alarm.

 

At the moment, Tsumiki’s weakly fussing at the bonds keeping her bedridden. Kuzuryuu turns and gives you a look. “Well, at least she’s doing something now, I guess. I was beginning to worry she’d turned into some kinda robot, you know?”

 

Tsumiki turns her head. “Ah.. u-um.. I..”

 

Both of you turn to her quickly, shock flitting across your faces. You clear your throat nervously. “Tsumiki?”

 

She opens her mouth and closes it several times, saying nothing. Her eyes are full of tears, and she looks a lot more like the Tsumiki you know.

 

Saionji manages to shriek even louder. “LET ME GO, YOU DISGUSTING FREAKS! IF YOU DON’T, I’LL MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL! DON’T YOU DARE -”

 

“HIYOKO SAIONJI!”

 

Saionji instantly falls silent, more on instinct than actual fear - but Sonia takes advantage of her confusion without hesitation.

 

“Young lady, you cannot blame Tsumiki-san for her actions. Before you do anything else - eat, sleep, or even begin to hope to leave this room - you MUST forgive Tsumiki-san. I know the two of you have had serious issues in the past, but - don’t you understand, Saionji-san? You won’t be able to live unless you accomplish this first. Tsumiki-san was acting under the influence of the despair disease when you were killed. And, as you must have already become aware of - you aren’t actually dead. I’m sure the real Tsumiki-san - no, our Mikan would greatly regret her actions and would be devastated to learn what she had done. And above all, Saionji-san, you must forgive her because you were trying to change and become a better person, for Koizumi-san.” Sonia gently frees Saionji’s head and arms, and helps to bring her into a sitting position. Smiling as she points to the bed next to Tsumiki’s, Sonia finishes with, “Don’t you want Koizumi-san to be proud of you when she wakes up?”

 

Saionji squeaks a little, finally noticing her best friend. “......Koizumi Onee-chan…?” Gradually, her eyes glisten over - and she bursts into hysterical tears. Sonia gently pats her back while the rest of you smile at each other in giddy relief. It looks like Saionji is going to be fine. Or whatever Saionji’s version of ‘fine’ is, anyway.

 

Owari throws an arm around Sonia casually. “It’s good to see you finally awake, Saionji! You’re rude, but it wasn’t the same without your bitchin’ attitude!”

 

Souda nods. “Yeah, I enjoyed not being verbally abused all of the time.. but I wasn’t glad that you had to die for me to finally get some peace.”

 

Saionji looks up, wiping tears from her face quickly. “S-stupid idiots.. Is that supposed to make me feel better? It’s amazing… how horrible can you _be_ at talking to people?”

 

“She’s back.”

 

The five of you laugh heartily while Saionji glares up at the ceiling. “Can someone pleeeeeeeeeeease just let me out of these restraints? I don’t want to be in this stuffy old room any longer than I have to.”

 

Sonia looks down at her with a raised eyebrow. “Have you done what I told you to do?”

 

Saionji scowls, avoiding everyone’s eyes. When she doesn’t say anything, you open your mouth to speak, but you’re quickly interrupted by a timid voice.

 

“Um.. S-Saionji-san..?”

 

Heads swivel at an alarming speed. Tsumiki is trembling, looking towards Saionji’s bed as best she can.

 

“U-um… I just. I-I just wanted to.. I’m.. I’m so sorry, Saionji-san!” She raises her voice. “P-Please, forgive me!”

 

“Woah..” You stare at Tsumiki, completely bemused. _She doesn’t look anything like the person who tried to strangle Komaeda. She looks like… herself_.

 

Saionji opens her mouth angrily, but glances over at Koizumi’s bed and chooses to stick up her nose haughtily instead. “You know, the last time someone apologized to me, they actually stabbed themselves in the stomach.”

 

“Saionji!”

 

“Saionji-san!”

 

Tsumiki seems desperate. “I- I would gladly do anything for you t-to forgive me, Saionji-san, i-it’s just that I’m r-restrained here, and -”

 

Saionji cuts her off. “Don’t worry about it.”

 

“Eh..?”

 

“You heard me.” She growls. “Don’t bother me anymore. Actually, just shut your trashy mouth before I change my mind.”

 

Tsumiki’s eyes are as wide as saucers. “S-Saionji-san! Thank you v-very much!”

 

“I _said_ not to talk, you ugly stinking pile of - “

 

“Okay!” You step forward hurriedly. “I’m glad you two seem to be doing better, but let’s not overdo it, okay?”

 

“Fine, I won’t, Hinata-nii! But you gotta let me out of this room, okay?”

 

“S-sure, but-”

 

“No buts! You’re on _my_ side, remember? Or do I need to _make_ you remember? I’ll stomp on your head as long as it takes~!”

 

“Saionji…”

 

Souda clears his throat. “So, is it okay to undo their restraints? They seem to be acting pretty normally. For them.”

 

The four of you contemplate his question. Yes, they do seem back to normal, but there are still some things that concern you. “I’m okay with letting them out of bed. But we should probably talk to them right away. Where should we go? Will Saionji even be able to walk anywhere yet?”

 

“We’ll support them,” Sonia decides, and she and Kuzuryuu work on freeing Saionji and Tsumiki.

 

Owari pipes up. “Wouldn’t it just be easiest to just go to the Motel? It’s closest.”

 

Saionji looks away, clicking her tongue. “That gross place? Ew, I might actually vomit.”

 

Souda glares at her. “Hey! If you don’t like it, you can stay here.”

 

She sticks her tongue out at him and clumsily slides off the bed, landing awkwardly on her feet. She looks a little wobbly, but she has Sonia to support her just in case. Likewise, Tsumiki has gotten to her feet awkwardly, but she seemed a lot more sturdy then Saionji did. Taking a few hesitant steps forward, Tsumiki grabs onto the edge of your shirt, looking up at you seriously. “Hinata-san..”

 

Surprised, you look down at her nervously. “W-What is it, Tsumiki?”

 

She stares at you unblinkingly. “How are we… how is everyone…  alive?”

 

“Th-that’s…” You glance at the faces around you, all of which are tense. No one knows quite what to say. “Um.. I think I should explain when we get to the Motel.”

 

Tsumiki nods slowly, releasing the edge of your shirt. “I can wait.”

 

Kuzuryuu offers her his arm, and everyone starts to head out. Saionji and Sonia linger for a few moments, stepping up to Koizumi’s bed and talking in hushed voices (practically a miracle in Saionji's case). Pausing to keep an eye on them, you take out your phone and text Naegi, figuring that you’d need a Future Foundation member to help explain things.

 

Naegi texts back instantly. ‘ _Yeah, I heard the alarm. I’ll come right away. Do you think they’re in good enough shape to handle news like this?_ ’

 

You frown, hating that you’re not sure. ‘ _I really hope so, Naegi. I really hope so._ ’

 

* * *

 

The gloomy mood pervades the room, clinging to the silent bodies of your friends like smoke. You’re crammed into a single motel room, girls sitting on the bed and guys spread out on the floor. The truth has stunned Saionji (even to the point of discouraging her from chowing down on her gummies), and left the rest of you somber. Tsumiki is the first to speak, her voice cracked and raw.

 

“I th-think I knew.. when I woke up, I f-felt that level of despair, a-and… I… I’m n-not sure, I think I lost c-control… but I d-didn’t even feel like myself… a-and I think I finally remember the end of my t-time in the… simulation.”

 

“Really? So.. Do your memories only pertain to the simulation?” Sonia asks.

 

“W-well… I have a few from before, I think… but otherwise, y-yes.”

 

“What about you, Saionji?” Akane nudges her.

 

“Of course I can only remember what happened on this island, you dimwits. Isn’t that why I’m acting like my usual perfect self?”

 

“That won’t last.” Naegi speaks up, giving the two girls a grim look. “You’ll start to remember things little by little, just like the five of them.”

 

“Y-you have memories from b-before…?”

 

Souda grimaces. “Not very many… and none of them are very clear… but all of them are extremely unpleasant. I - I specifically remember building some of those death machines for her… I created the death traps that ended Naegi’s friend’s lives… and I did many, many other despicable things…”

 

“I know I killed almost every member of my family.” Kuzuryuu shakes his head angrily. “I don’t think I even had a reason to, I just did. I… not only that, but I also kept my distance from Peko… _hurt_ her… I may have helped turn her towards despair. Which is something I’ll never forgive myself for.” He shudders, turning away.

 

“All of us can remember stuff, but not much.” Owari is uncharacteristically somber. “That’s why all of us have nightmares… Sometimes you’ll think of something you did in the past and it’ll just hit you, in the middle of nowhere, and you can barely manage to make it through the day…”

 

Kuzuryuu sits up straighter, clenching his fists and turning back to the group. “But since we have each other, it’s bearable. This burden isn’t something that’s all on you, it’s something we all deal with. Together.”

 

“That’s right. And we won’t let the two of you shoulder anything by yourselves, either.” You rub your hands together, nodding to yourself.

 

Naegi uncrosses his arms. “Plus, the person who is really to blame for all this is not any one of you. It’s Junko Enoshima. Yes, you had a part in all of this - but if it wasn’t for her, well, none of you would have done _any_ of this. She’s almost entirely to blame, in my opinion.”

 

“Thanks, Naegi.” Kuzuryuu sighs and unclenches his hands, leaning back. “So, now that we’ve had _that_ conversation, there’s something I still want to know. Tsumiki, why exactly did you try to strangle Komaeda?”

 

Tsumiki’s eyes widen. “I… I…”

 

You lean forward subconsciously. This is something you’d been extremely anxious about… You almost _needed_ to know.

 

“Well, th-that’s… When I woke up, I was not feeling like myself… I believe I w-was still acting as a member of Super High School Level Despair, because of how I d-died and how confused and lost I felt… and before the simulation, I...” Tsumiki begins to cry, scrunching her face up. “...I know I was p-planning to ‘get rid of’ K-Komaeda-san, and I acted out of confusion and ignorance… P-Please, forgive me! I’m so sorry!”

 

“Wait, Tsumiki.” Your mouth is hanging open. “You- you were planning on killing Komaeda before?!”

 

“I’m sorry! I’m s-so sorry! This is the one situation I remember from before... ”

 

“You remember the _situation_?” Kuzuryuu’s eyes narrow.

 

“Y-Yes…”

 

You’re anxiously gripping the fabric of your pants. “So then… you know why you wanted to kill him?”

 

Tsumiki flushes and stammers, but manages to choke her words out. “It was because of the nature of his relationship w-with Junko-san…”

 

Saionji squeaks. “Komaeda-nii and Enoshima's... _relationship_?!”

 

“I… will tell you what I remember… I-I happened across Junko-san and Komaeda-san… well, it p-probably wasn’t an accident that I saw… But she was, u-um…” Tsumiki lowers her voice, almost whispering now. “She was k-kissing him… and I’m not sure that’s all they were doing…”

 

“W-What?!” You gape at her, stunned.

 

“When she n-noticed me, she immediately pushed him away, and he left… Then she started bragging to me…” Tsumiki’s breath hitches. “It was awful… she t-told me that Komaeda-san, um - had never been given love or affection his whole life… barely even from his parents, before they d-died… And she laughed because of what she was doing to him… She told me she knew p-perfectly well that he'd only joined the ranks of Super High School Level D-Despair because he was determined to stop them… us… b-but then they fell into despair themselves… and she laughed because they hated her but she confused them, gave them what they'd always lived w-without… I can remember her voice so clearly… she said she made them think they could love her, even though they h-hated her with his whole being… You know how he felt about ‘hope’ and ‘despair’. And she continued to berate him, l-laughing about it… about how wonderfully she’d done manipulating him… And I laughed with her…” The room is deathly silent as Tsumiki takes a shaky breath, shuddering. “But I was jealous…  So jealous I wanted him gone, no m-matter what. So I was going to, um, you know… But that’s all I remember. I don’t remember anything else, b-but… this memory wasn’t blurry or faint in the slightest.”

 

No one seems to know what to say after this revelation. Tsumiki wipes her tears with her hands, and Sonia reaches over to pat her hand, but all you can focus on is the overwhelming sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. Nothing, nothing could have prepared you for a story like that… On top of being completely disgusted with what Enoshima had been doing, you were even more confused... the more you learned about Komaeda, the more of an enigma he seemed to be.

 

“Hinata-san? Are you alright?”

 

You jump, suddenly aware that everyone is focused on you. “What?! Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

 

Souda leans closer to you. “Dude, you’re really pale, and you look totally freaked out. You sure you’re okay? You could go splash some water on your face or something…”

 

“No, I’m fine… just tired, I guess.”

 

“Ah.” Naegi checks his watch. “Well, it’s around four-thirty in the morning, so… why don’t we pack it in for the day?”

 

You nod, looking down at the ground. Owari is the first to stand, holding her hand out to Saionji. “Hey, I’ll help you get to your cottage, okay?”

 

Saionji looks too tired to argue. Instead of making a snide comment, she allows Owari to pull her to her feet and walk her out the door. Souda does the same, offering his hand to Tsumiki. One by one, the room’s occupants take their leave, and you’re left staring at the ground in silence.

 

* * *

 

You wake up around one the next day and spend your afternoon showing Tsumiki and Saionji the islands. The two of them can walk without assistance, but they lose energy pretty quickly and you end up giving Saionji a piggyback ride on your way back to Hotel Mirai.

 

Huffing, you can't help complaining a little. “Jeez… You know, you’re a lot taller now.”

 

“I know~!” Saionji tightens her hold around your neck. “Just keep walking, pony-boy!”

 

“P-pony boy?!”

 

“That’s right! You only exist to serve me, after all!”

 

You groan and turn to look at Tsumiki for help, but she just giggles nervously and continues walking. Saionji wiggles her feet a little, resting her head on your shoulder with a wide smile on her face. _If she wasn’t such a demon, she’d be really really cute…_

 

And she is, in appearance. She’s grown taller and filled out a little more, and she's one of the only people who isn't marred with any visible scars or burns. She dons pretty similar clothes to her simulation outfit; a red furisode kimono with a black floral print pattern, as well as a black obi. Her hair isn't in pigtails anymore, but it is a similar style with her high ponytail. So she's still recognizable, still mostly the Saionji you remember. Tsumiki, on the other hand… has changed. On her thighs, neck, left leg and right hand, she has black stitches sewn into her skin, a little ‘x’ marking every inch along the wraparound lines. She actually resembles a rag doll. She also has tiny stitching on her bottom lip and right eyebrow. The stitches were bad enough, but she’d mentioned to Sonia earlier that she had replaced her reproductive organs with Enoshima's, so who knew what kind of painful scars that had left. Finally, Tsumiki’s hair is still uneven, but it's much shorter, just barely brushing against her shoulders. As far as clothes, she's wearing pretty much the same ones she was wearing in the simulator, but their colors have been switched; so she has a light blue shirt and a pastel pink skirt. She’s also ditched the full-body apron for a waist apron. She's clearly older, but appears that way because of the dark circles under her eyes more than anything else…

 

Saionji smacks you in the back of the head, forcing you back to reality. “Hey, earth to Hinata! We’re here. Maybe I should call you space-boy from now on?”

 

You sigh. “Whatever. I don’t even care anymore.”

 

She giggles and you bend your knees, letting her hop off of you. After elbowing you in the side, she takes off running to her cottage. “See you, Hinata-nii!”

 

Stretching your back, you frown after her. “If I’d known she had this much energy, I wouldn’t have given her a piggyback ride.”

 

Tsumiki chuckles quietly. “You p-probably would have, Hinata-san. You’re a very c-considerate person.”

 

“You just mean I always let her take advantage of me.”

 

“P-perhaps.”

 

“Well, I guess I’ll head back to my cottage as well… Not like I have much else to do.” You barely manage to take a step before Tsumiki grabs your arm.

 

“I’m sorry! Wait, Hinata-san! I wish to discuss something with y-you.”

 

You stop. “Oh… what is it?”

 

Tsumiki nervously runs her hands through her hair. “Um…! I b-believe there will be problems when the rest of our classmates wake up.”

 

You blink. “What kind of problems, exactly?”  
  


 

“Will you sit in the lounge with me?”

 

“Sure.” You follow her inside the Hotel, eyebrows knitted together. Surely all of you already knew there would be problems when your classmates awoke. Did Tsumiki have something specific in mind?

 

When both of you are seated in the lounge, she gets straight to the point. “I b-believe that each of our classmates will mostly have memories concerning the simulation when they awake, a-although they may remember a f-few things from before, like I d-did. However, when they awake they w-will most likely have what I’m calling a ‘Fit of Despair’.”

 

You gulp. _This does not sound good._ “A Fit of Despair…?”

 

She nods. “Y-yes. This means that when they awake they w-will not be in their right minds. They will be deep in despair, unable to use logic or reason… they will basically be unable to think, and will lash out… just as I did when I w-woke up the first time.”

 

“But wait, Saionji didn’t do that… right? I mean, threatening to kill you isn’t anything new… sorry.”

 

“I-it’s fine. Actually, Saionji-san did have one. I t-talked to Kuzuryuu-san and he said that Saionji-san woke up screaming hysterically and f-fighting desperately to leave her bed. It was only when she saw me awake that she seemed to regain herself and act more n-normal.”

 

“I see… So you think it’ll be mostly good news when people wake up, since they’ll mostly be the people we know, but before that they’ll have a Fit of Despair and will be practically inhuman?”

 

“Y-You got it.”

 

“Okay…” You lean back and furrow your eyebrows. “Well… honestly, that may be good news. We were afraid that everyone would wake up and only know themselves as members of Super High School Despair. But you’re saying that most likely, they’ll be the people we knew in the simulation. As long as we get them through their Fits of Despair it should be fine, right?”

 

Tsumiki hesitantly puts her hand over yours. “You are correct again, but you must be aware that if you c-can’t get them through that, I don’t know w-what will happen. And if someone is particularly disturbed, they may be in danger of not recovering.”

 

“Oh.” You look to the side, fidgeting with your hands. “But we can help make sure that won’t happen… right?”

 

“Yes, w-we can try our best.”

 

“R-Right… well, you should probably tell the others about this, okay? I think I’m gonna go to the hospital soon, it’s almost time for my shift. I’ll grab dinner first, though…”

 

“Shift?” Tsumiki tilts her head.

 

“Yeah, we’re all taking turns watching everyone. I guess that really was a good idea if everyone will be having these, uh, Fits of Despair.” You rub the back of your head awkwardly.

 

“Hinata-san! Please allow me to assist you in helping to take care of the others!” Tsumiki clenches her fists, looking up at you passionately. “If there’s anything I can d-do, I’ll do my best!”

 

You purse your lips. “I would be alright with that normally… but you’ve got to be running out of energy. Right?”

 

“Yes… but I really want to help! Please, Hinata-san! Allow me to assist you!”

 

 _Well, since she wants to so badly…_ “Fine. But I’m going to make you take a nap first. There’s a bed in the hospital’s supply room. Alright?”

 

“Thank you so much, Hinata-san!” Tsumiki presses her hands to her cheeks gleefully.

 

“Oh, but one more thing.” You cross your arms and raise an eyebrow at her.

 

“Y-yes, Hinata-san?!”

 

“You don’t need to add -san to my name anymore. Just Hinata is fine.”

 

“R-Really?!" Tsumiki blushes fiercly. "No one’s ever… no one has ever allowed me to address them s-so casually!”

 

“It’s because we’re friends, isn’t it?” You offer her your arm, smiling. “I’m sure the rest of our friends feel the same way.”

 

She takes your arm, bursting with emotion. “Thank you! I’ll try my best, H-Hinata!”

 

* * *

 

The top floor of the hospital is quiet once again. You’ve spent the first few hours reading as you wait for Tsumiki to wake up. When you check on her in the next room, however, she’s completely out. Shaking your head, you return to the room and try to settle back into your book - but while re-entering the room _their_ stupid mess of hair catches your attention, and you can’t ignore the feeling in your stomach - you keep glancing over at their bed uneasily. After around ten minutes of this, you close your book with a snap and pull your chair over to Komaeda’s bed, huffing as you sit down. “You know, I was really looking forward to reading that. Thanks a lot for breaking my concentration.”

 

His breathing is deep and even, and he looks more serene than you’ve ever seen him. _Well, he's definitely more peaceful when he can’t even talk._

 

You scoot a little closer, leaning your elbow on the side of the bed. “...I heard a little more about what happened to you from Tsumiki. Honestly, I don’t know what to make of it… She said you joined Super High School Despair just so you could take it down, and that you and Enoshima… well, I can see you doing the first part, anyway.” You feel a little weird talking to him like this, but figure it's fine since you're the only one here. It’s even weirder just _staring_ at him like this, when he's asleep, since you’re struck by just how... _nice_  he looks. You _might_ even describe his features as beautiful… his pale skin looks like it would be so smooth to touch, and his hair looks so soft… But this is Komaeda. A person you wished to know, but probably _didn’t_ know, as much as you might have wanted to. You doubt he'd appreciate your thoughts, or be okay with you touching him. So you continue to sit there, trying to think of what you can possibly say to him. Eventually, you kind of give up… Komaeda can’t hear you anyway. “Listen, I’m… sorry about everything that happened in the simulation. I really am. Not that you’d believe me if you could hear me.” You pause. “I bet you wouldn’t even apologize if you could, so I don’t know why I… actually, I know you wouldn’t apologize. You’d probably say something like ‘It was all for the sake of hope’ and that would be that.” You lean your head into your hand, yawning. “Still… I hope you wake up soon.”

  
Later, Tsumiki would tell everyone how adorable you looked snoring away with your head on Komaeda’s bed and your hand clutching his.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so first of all... I wasn't sure how Saionji should address everyone. I'm having her use -nii and -nee but if it needs to be changed please let me know. Also, for Tsumiki's stitches, think Suzuya Juuzou from Tokyo Ghoul. So, the first people to wake up were Tsumiki and Saionji! What a pair they make.  
> I appreciate everyone's support, and I'm having tons of fun writing, so... keep commenting, keep reading, and I promise I'll do my best!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naegi goes away, Souda matures (sort of), someone wakes up, and someone else is in the process of being brought back to life.

 

“And that’s… one surgeon, one doctor, and two nurses. All accounted for.” Naegi notes something on the clipboard he’s carrying and nods to himself. “They're successfully moved into the motel.”

 

You hum to yourself and raise an eyebrow. “Are you sure it’s okay to have people stay on the island with us?”

 

Naegi nods seriously. “Yes, I’d rather be safe than sorry. You never know when someone could get hurt or sick or have a breakdown, you know?”

 

“I guess…” You stick your hands in your pockets. “Well anyway, I’m gonna miss you, Naegi. It won’t be the same without you around.” The two of you are standing on the boardwalk, next to the boat Naegi is due to depart on. It’s a bright sunny day and the breeze is blowing gently, but no amount of good weather can make up for Naegi leaving.

 

Naegi bends over to set his clipboard on the dock and then jumps back up to give you a hug. “I’ll miss you too, Hinata! Don’t worry though, it won’t be for very long. Plus, Kirigiri will be here while I’m away.”

 

“I see…” You hug him back, glad he can’t see the grimace on your face. “You know, she’s a little intimidating.”

 

Naegi laughs and lets go of you, stepping backwards. “I know, she can be scary at times. But really, she does care… and I trust her absolutely.”

 

“I _know_ you do. You’re pretty much dating her, right?”

 

He turns pink. "W-well, we haven’t really defined our relationship -"

 

“Right, right.” You punch him on the arm lightly, laughing at his flustered expression. “It’s only a matter of time until wedding bells are ringing.”

 

Naegi blushes harder and manages to change the subject. “But you know, Hinata, after I get back I’m pretty much staying for good, right?”

 

You blink. “Really?”

 

“Yep! Of course I’ll have to make a few visits now and then, but the Future Foundation has officially, _officially_ pardoned me and the others, and they’ve put me in charge of everything that’s going on around here!”

 

“ _Really_?!” You beam at him. “That’s great news!”

 

“I know, right! I’m really relieved, I don’t think I would’ve been able to handle anyone else being in charge here.”

 

“Nor could I, honestly.”

 

“Thanks!” Naegi beams up at you. “Well, I am glad to get the opportunity to visit my sister, though. Even if it’s just to report on whatever progress she’s made.”

 

“Yeah, it’s good that you two have each other. Most people won’t get to see their family members again… Er, I mean - sorry, that was a little too grim, huh?”

 

“Just a bit.”

 

“Whoops… Well anyway, have a safe trip, Naegi.”

 

“Y-yeah, thanks!” He quickly gives you one last fleeting hug before grabbing his clipboard and skipping up the walkway and onto the ship. “Bye, Hinata! Keep everyone safe!”

 

“I will!” You smile up at him. Naegi waves before disappearing from view, and you pause before turning to head back to the beach, contemplating what you should do with yourself now. _I know I want to go to the hospital, but I should do something else first…_ Before you can think of anything, you’re startled to realize that someone’s waiting for you at the end of the dock. _Wait, isn’t that…_

 

“Hinata!” Souda waves you over, a huge smile stretched across his face. He’s wearing a black tank top and really bright neon pink shorts with a matching beanie, so it’s practically a miracle you hadn’t noticed him sooner. Well, he never has been one to fade into the background. “Hey, I have something for you!”

 

You walk towards him warily. “You have something… for me?”

 

“Yep!” Souda’s holding one arm behind his back, which kind of scares you a little.

 

“Ooooookay… What is it?”

 

“Get ready, because I made this myself”. He presents you with a card, beaming with pride. Surprised, you take it from him and study it.

 

“This is…”

 

“One free ‘Hang out with Hinata’ ticket. It’s totally legit, too.”

 

You can’t help but laugh out loud. “Wow! Souda, that’s something, alright.”

 

He rubs the back of his neck, suddenly embarrassed. “Well, you’re always busy and all, so I just figured…”

 

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m just teasing you.” You smile down at the card in your hand. “I do have one question, though. Why did you draw Monomi - I mean, _Usami_ on this?”

 

“Hmm…” He shrugs. “It seemed like something she’d want us to do, so I just felt like putting her on it.”

 

“Ha!” You put a hand on Souda’s shoulder, cackling. “Oh my god, that’s actually really funny.”

 

He laughs with you. “I’m just glad you could tell what it was. I’m the Super High School Level Mechanic, _not_ the Super High School Level Artist.”

 

“True. Usami’s face is all bunched up… She looks like a mix between a rabbit and a pug, honestly.”

 

“Hey!” He whacks you in the stomach. “I’d like to see you do better!”

 

“Alright, alright.” You dance away from his grasp to avoid getting hit again. “Anyway, where did you want to go with me?”

 

“I was thinking about going to the cinema? I know we’d have to watch an old movie, seeing as there aren’t any new releases, haha… but it could still be fun, right?”

 

You stick your hands in your pockets, shrugging. “Sure, whatever you want. Were you thinking of going now?”

 

“Yeah. Wait, you didn’t have anything planned for right now, did you?!”

 

“Nope, I’m totally free. Well, I was going to visit the hospital, but I didn’t have a time or anything in mind, so don’t worry about it.”

 

“Alright!” Souda pumps his fist in the air and walks away from the boardwalk, towards the path. “Let’s not waste any time, then! Come on, let’s go!”

 

“Okay, okay.” You follow him, rolling your eyes at his enthusiasm. After a while of walking in comfortable silence, you ask “Hey, what movie are we watching, anyway?”

 

“Dunno.” Was his simple reply.

 

“Um… then did you have a few to choose from? Or a specific genre, or anything…?”

 

“Uh…” He looks back at you sheepishly. “No, I didn’t plan this far ahead.”

 

“Souda…”

 

He puts his hands up defensively. “H-Hey, isn’t this better? Now you can pick.”

 

“Hmm, true. How about a comedy?”

 

Souda’s eyes light up. “Oh, my favorite movie is a comedy! We can watch that one!”

 

You squint at him. “Not sure if that sounds like a good idea…”

 

He pouts. “Don’t worry, it’s really good, I swear! Ah, watch your step, this bridge is slightly taller than the actual ground.” The simulation had had bridges, but in reality Naegi and the others used to operate ferries just to travel between islands - which was a _huge_ inconvenience. But it turned out to be unnecessary, since the life in the ocean around the islands didn't exist anymore. So the Future Foundation gave in and came up with the resources to build bridges pretty soon after your group had awoken. Well, the bridges the Future Foundation had helped build weren’t anywhere near as big as the ones from the simulation, but that was fine. It wasn’t like there was going to be any traffic between islands. Or _on_ any of the islands, for that matter.

 

Souda interrupts your thoughts, pointing at you excitedly. “Dude, I just noticed! We’re kinda matching!”

 

You look down at your outfit (an olive green tank with black shorts) and snort. “I guess we’re wearing the same _type_ of clothes, but we’re not really matching, color-wise.”

 

He waves his hand. “Doesn’t matter, we totally are. Great minds think alike, huh?”

 

“I don’t know about that. You’re kind of a huge dork, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t drag me down to your level.”

 

“Heeeeeeeeeeey…”

 

The banter continues even after you get to the theater and grab some snacks. After Souda sets up his movie, the two of you sit in the very back of the theater and pay attention to the film. Souda laughs a lot during it, of course, and the movie’s not too horrible - although there’s a little too much slapstick humor to suit your tastes. Still, a couple of times they slip in a witty joke that you can appreciate, so all in all it wasn’t a waste of time. Finally, the movie concludes as the main character marries the princess he’d somehow managed to woo. Souda nods his head approvingly when the credits roll and turns to give you a smile. “So! What’d ya think?”

 

“Oh, well - it was very… you.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean, eh?!”

 

“Nothing, nothing!” You wave your hands quickly, laughing. “There were definitely some good parts. And the ending was… interesting.”

 

“Yeah.” The two of you sit in silence while the credits slowly disappear. The lights slowly turn back on, but you’re still just sitting there, staring at the blank screen. Something’s bothering you now, and you’re surprised you haven’t noticed sooner. “Hey, Souda…”

 

“What’s up?” He puts his feet up in the chair in front of him.

 

“Do you still like Sonia?”

 

He looks surprised at your question, but not uncomfortable. “Well… it depends on what you mean. I mean, I still think she’s amazing, and probably the greatest person I’ve ever met… and she’s hot, dude. That hasn’t changed.”

 

“Of course she is. But seriously: you haven’t been hanging off of her like before, you know? I kind of just realized…” You trail off.

 

“Well, there’s two really good explanations for that.” He holds up a finger, his expression suddenly twisted with bitterness. “One. Finding out you used to be a raging psychotic murderer isn’t great, but it sure does a hell of a lot for your maturity, huh?” He takes a breath to steady himself and manages to calm down, his face returning to a neutral expression. “Two, well… I happened to hear Sonia talking to Tanaka when I was visiting the hospital once, and it became abundantly obvious that I had no chance with her.”

 

You flinch. “I’m sorry I asked, I didn’t mean to ruin the mood…”

 

“Yeah, it’s okay. I think I’m pretty much over it. Actually, I really hope Tanaka wakes up soon. I think Sonia needs him.” He frowns down at his hands.

 

You’re actually impressed, and more than happy that he’s moving on. If he was still intoxicated with Sonia he would have only gone through more heartbreak. “Souda, I’m really proud of you. Keep it up.”

 

“Th-thanks, Hinata!” He suddenly looks very misty eyed.

 

“Woah, hey, let’s talk about something else.” You try not to make it obvious how desperate you are to keep him from actually crying.

 

Souda doesn’t seem to notice your desperation, though. After rubbing his eyes, he sits up and regards you seriously. ”Actually, since you asked me a question, I have one for you.”

 

“Okay…? What is it?” You shift in your seat slightly, eyeing him cautiously.

 

“Why did Tsumiki tell me you were holding hands with Komaeda?” He might not have done so on purpose, but his voice had taken on an accusatory tone, and you panic slightly.

 

“I-It’s not what you think! I was just talking to Komaeda and I fell asleep, that’s all! And in my sleep, I… I must have-”

 

“Calm down.” Souda raises an eyebrow at you. “Sorry, it’s just… I thought you were repulsed by the guy.”

 

You clasp your hands together, fidgeting in your seat. “I am… sort of…”

 

“Sort of?”

 

“Yeah… It’s just that - Ugh, I don’t know… he's  _sick_ and the things he say are so  _confusing_ and he drives me _nuts_ …  but I’ve always been drawn to him,” You confess, avoiding eye contact. “Before, I thought it was because I was scared of leaving him alone, because I never knew what he was going to do… but I’m drawn to him even now, even though I know he won’t get into any trouble - since, well, he's asleep.”

 

Souda hesitates. “I… _think_ I get what you’re saying.”

 

“Right now I’m just all confused, because I heard he was trying to take down Super High School Level Despair, and he does these horrible things but he  _might_ have a degenerative brain disease, I don’t know… And he's apparently had a horrible life and no one’s been there to guide him and I can’t help wondering if he's really a bad person or if he's just… really, really misguided and hurt.”

 

Souda leans back in his chair and crosses his arms, staring at the ceiling. “It won’t be easy for you to find out, y'know.”

 

“I know.” You sigh. “Well, either way… he's still kind of an asshole.”

 

Souda sniggers. “Won’t argue with that.”

 

“Anyway…” You stand up and stretch, cracking your knuckles. “I think that conversation was too heavy for today. Let’s go do something else.”

 

“Ughhhhhh, I don’t want to move, though…” He slumps into his seat.

 

You grab his hands and pull him up, rolling your eyes. “Don’t be lazy, you’re the one who wanted to hang out.”

 

He opens his mouth to retort but only gets as far as “Hinata-” before he’s interrupted by the horribly loud keening of the alarm.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The first thing you see when you burst into the hospital room containing your friends is a horde of people gathered around one bed. Half of them are completely unfamiliar, but you also spot Sonia, Saionji, and Tsumiki. You can hear someone sobbing. There’s one other person, too, though everyone’s blocking your view - and it looks like the last person has… thrown themselves over the person on the bed?

 

“Shit!” Souda rushes over, reacting faster than you. “What’s…?”

 

You realize with a start that the person sobbing is Owari, of all people. Rushing forward, you push past the people gathered around her to see -

 

It’s Nidai. He’s staring up at the ceiling with a blank look on his face. Owari’s wrapped her arms around his torso, and he barely seems aware. In fact, the way he looks is - _is he even breathing?!_

 

“S-Sonia?!” You address her without looking away from Nidai, your voice strained and small.

 

Somehow, she knows what you’re thinking. She places a hand on your shoulder quickly, whispering “Don’t worry, Hinata-san. He is fine physically, he is just not responding.”

 

Owari hiccups loudly. “Old man Nidai, please talk to me…! Why won’t you say anything, I don’t understand! P-Please… I still haven’t repaid you… for everything you did for me… You’re awake, so do something! Say something! DAMMIT!” Owari’s voice kept getting higher and higher, breaking with the last word.

 

You feel tears at the back of your eyes and step back, horrified. “H-How…” You’re having difficulty talking. “How long has he been awake?”

 

One of the doctors answers you, their eyes glued to the screen that displayed all of Nidai’s vital signs. “We estimate he must have awoken approximately an hour ago. So far, he has not spoken a word or moved, aside from opening his eyes. He should be able to hear you, and we’re not sure why he is choosing not to respond.”

 

Tsumiki whimpers. “A Fit of Despair…”

 

Owari stands up abruptly, punching the end of the hospital bed violently. “Snap him out of it! Why won’t he talk? Why do I feel like he can’t see me?!”

 

“Calm down, Owari.” Kuzuryuu enters the room, raising his voice. “Nidai’s going to be fine.”

 

“How the fuck do you know?” Owari turns around and it’s like the air gets sucked out of the room. You’d only really seen Owari cry in the simulation, and this time is no different - Owari crying is something that should _not_ happen. It’s unnatural and unnerving and everyone present immediately gets the urge to do anything they can to make her feel better.

 

“I-I mean…” Kuzuryuu loses his composure for a moment, but soldiers on. “Don’t worry. Nidai’s not going to slip away so easily, we won’t let him. Right, guys?”

 

Sonia nods firmly and holds out her arms. “Come here, Akane. You don’t have to be afraid, you will not lose Nidai-san. He is remarkably tough.” Sonia gingerly envelops Owari in a hug, and Owari hides her face in Sonia’s shoulder, clinging to her desperately. It’s an emotional moment for your friends- Tsumiki covers her mouth with her hand, trembling, Souda has to turn away, and even Saionji is trying to hide her sniffles.

 

Kuzuryuu turns to Nidai’s bed. “Alright, big guy, you’ve gotta do something. We won’t leave you alone until you move.” He grabs for Nidai’s hand, but one of the doctors stops him.

 

“Pardon me, but I’m going to have to ask you to refrain from touching the patient. We bent the rules for this young lady,” she gestures to Owari, “but that’s quite enough. In fact, I’m going to have to ask all of you to leave. You could further upset the patient.”

 

Kuzuryuu slowly turns to look at her and - _oh, no_ \- he’s lost all self-control. His voice starts out deadly quiet, and he gets louder and faster with each word. “You’re going to tell me that I can’t touch my friend? _You’re_ going to tell me that I need to leave the room? Are you fucking dense? Like you know _anything_ about Nidai?! Like you know anything about our friendships?! WE WERE THE ONLY ONES HERE WHEN SAIONJI AND TSUMIKI WOKE UP! WHO FUCKING PULLED THEM OUT OF THEIR DESPAIR?! WAS IT YOU? NO, IT FUCKING WASN’T. _WE_ ARE THE ONES WHO ARE GOING TO REVIVE OUR FRIENDS. WE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE GOING TO KEEP CARRYING ON IN THE FUTURE WE’VE BUILT, DON’T YOU DARE TELL ME THAT I CAN’T BE HERE. DON’T YOU _DARE_.” He looks away, breathing heavily. “Look. we appreciate the fact that all of you have come here and are going to help our friends. Really, we’re extremely fucking grateful. But we thought these people had _died_. We can’t sit around and hope that they’ll be okay. We have to be here for them, and we have to help them in any way we possibly can. So none of us are leaving. In fact… he’s fine physically, so maybe all of you can head back for now. We’ll take care of the rest.”

 

The room’s silent for about half a minute before a booming laugh echoes around the room. Your friends jump in surprise, and you recognize the voice instantly. _It could only be -_

 

“Nidai!” Owari rushes forward and grabs his hand. “Old man, you’re awake!”

 

Nidai sits up - probably faster than he should have - and laughs again, his energy beginning to fill the room. “You just can’t get rid of me, can you?”

 

_Kuzuryuu's speech must have helped him snap out of it! Oh god, I'm so relieved..._

 

Owari throws herself on him, hugging him tightly. “Old man Nidai, I’m…! I’m so s-sorry, about everything! Please let me make it up to you! I’m just so glad you’re awake…” Out of the corner of your eye you notice the doctors and nurses leaving the room, but you don’t pay them much attention.

 

Nidai returns her hug and pats her head. “You don’t have to make anything up to me, though. I’m definitely going to be training you to the bone, starting tomorrow! FITNESS DOESN’T WAIT!”

 

Souda interrupts hastily. “Woah, woah, woah, Nidai. You’re probably still feeling kind of weak - "

 

Nidai throws back the covers and slides his legs over the side of the bed, seemingly about to stand. He pauses when you gasp in surprise, though. “Nidai, your leg… you have an artificial leg!”

 

He looks down, seemingly unfazed. “So it seems.”

 

“Man, I didn’t even know!” Souda stares at the robotic appendage almost greedily.

 

“Gehahahahaha! You’ll have your chance to examine it eventually, I’m sure.” Nidai stands up shakily, but doesn’t fall. His eyes slowly scan the room, and you realize how this must all look to him.

 

“Um - ”

 

“So, I assume you’re all going to tell me why I’m not a robot, and why I’m not dead? As well as why everyone who **should** be dead isn’t?”

 

“We were gonna - “ Souda begins, but Nidai cuts him off.

 

“Great! I’m all over that! There’s just one thing that needs to be taken care of first.”

 

“What?” You think you know where this might be going.

 

“Well, first - ” Nidai pauses, and then scrunches his face up and bellows. **“IT’S TIME TO TAKE A SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!”**

 

 

* * *

 

 

“...So then after _that_ whole scandal, people started waking up. Tsumiki was first, then Saionji, and now you. We’re hoping this means that everyone else is going to wake up as well… Honestly, Komaeda’s the one who’s least likely to, so as soon as that guy’s awake it should be smooth sailing. Well, there’ll be problems, but at least we’ll be sure they’re actually going to wake up…” Souda’s voice trails off.

 

Nidai nods slowly, taking it all in. “I see… so that’s what you’ve been doing for those who are still sleeping…” He’d been fine with staying in the hospital room (not even wanting to change out of his hospital gown), so everyone’s currently sprawled across the floor in a shape sort of resembling a circle. So far, he’s been surprisingly calm about the whole thing, only really showing his uneasiness when you explained about how the sixteen of you were members of Super High School Level Despair… who wouldn’t be upset by news like that, though?

 

Tsumiki answers Nidai. “Yes, we’re p-pretty optimistic about this now.”

 

Nidai suddenly turns to look at you, and you nervously stare back. “Wh… What? Why are you looking at me like that…?”

 

“What are you doing about Nanami, Hinata?”

 

“N-Nanami…?” You freeze up. “We… I… I haven’t…”

 

Sonia answers for you, perhaps sensing how much the question unnerved you. “We’ve been… a bit preoccupied. It’s not like we haven’t thought about Nanami-san’s situation, but we haven’t been able to do anything for her yet.”

 

Souda pipes up as well. “Yeah, I wanted to get a look at her myself, see if there’s at least anything I could start with, but the first problem is that I can’t even do that.” He shakes his head, irritated. “The Future Foundation has everything. All of the files and shit… All of the data. It drives me nuts that I can’t do anything.”

 

A voice rings out from the doorway, startling everyone. “I’m sorry to have driven you nuts, then.”

 

Swiveling your head, you’re mildly surprised to see her leaning against the doorframe. “Kirigiri-san?”

 

“Hello, everyone.” Kirigiri isn’t quite as poised as Sonia, but she’s very close. Right now she’s wearing leather shorts and a purple off-the-shoulder shirt (which doesn’t stop her from looking any bit less regal than she does when donning her professional Future Foundation outfit), and she’s looking from face to face with an unreadable expression.

 

Nidai points to her in recognition. “Ah, is this the girl from the Future Foundation? The one who entered the simulation with the other two guys?”

 

“Well duh,” Saionji crosses her arms smugly. “Who else could it be? Are there any _other_ teenage girls on this ‘uninhabited-except-for-us’ island?”

 

Kuzuryuu snickers. “That was way too wordy to be a good insult, but nice try.”

 

“If you talk to me that way again, I’ll seriously pinch your forehead so hard you’ll pass out!” Saionji seethes.

 

“If I may interrupt,” Kirigiri walks through the circle and hands a bundle of material to Nidai. “Here are the clothes that Asahina-san got for you, Nidai-kun.”

 

“Asahina-san?”

 

“One of the five survivors from the ‘School Life of Mutual Killing’,” you mutter to him.

 

Kirigiri nods. “In her free time, Asahina managed to find suitable clothes for each of you. She was very particular about picking things you would all enjoy.”

 

“Th-that’s so nice of her!” Tsumiki manages to smile. “Did she pick out m-mine?”

 

Kirigiri smiles back at her. “Yes. She especially had fun looking for clothes for you and Saionji-san.”

 

Souda clears his throat and addresses Kirigiri awkwardly. “Hey, so, back up for a second… What did you mean when you apologized for driving me nuts?”

 

“Ah, that.” Kirigiri sits in between you and Nidai, crossing her legs. “You must not have been aware, but I’m the one who’s been working on trying to get Nanami-san up and running again.”

 

Souda looks horrified. “S-sorry! I didn’t mean to complain, I-I just -”

 

Her voice takes on a soothing tone. “It’s fine. I understand wanting to help your friend, Souda-kun. Don’t worry.”

 

“Th-thanks…”

 

You clear your throat loudly. “Um… So, Kirigiri-san… Is Nanami… Did you…?” For some reason, all the words you’re trying to say are getting stuck in your throat.

 

She knows what you want her to tell you, though. She hesitates briefly before answering, “...I have made some progress.”

 

Your heart feels like it’s going to beat out of your chest. Kuzuryuu and Sonia exchange an uninterpretable glance, but you barely notice anything that’s going on around you. Swallowing hard, you manage to ask, “And…?”

 

“And… It is possible you may be able to speak with her soon.”

 

Your face slowly breaks into a huge grin. “Really? You mean it?”

 

She shrugs. “It took a while… first I had to cleanse Alter Ego, which was by no means a small project… Then, after double and triple-checking that he’d been restored to his normal self, I began tackling Nanami and Usami. I believe I’ve made quite a bit of leeway, but I want you all to be there when I do the first test run. I spoke to her a few times, before all of you entered the simulation, but you know her far better than I do, and I need to be absolutely certain she’s not corrupted in any way. So… yes, I mean it.”

 

You’re giddy with the news. “That’s amazing! I can hardly believe it… just this morning I didn’t have the slightest clue what was happening with Nanami, and now I’ll get to see her within a few days!”

 

“I’m glad I was able to help. I just came here to let you know.” Kirigiri abruptly stands, makes her way to the doorway, and turns back to bow. “Have a good night, everyone.”

 

“Sleep well!” Sonia calls after her, and Kirigiri vanishes faster than she’d appeared.

 

“This is awesome!” Owari punches a fist in the air, drawing everyone’s attention. “The old man woke up, and now we know we’re gonna get to see Nanami! Man, I’m gonna sleep like a _baby_ tonight!”

 

“Hold on, hold on.” Kuzuryuu holds up a hand and gives everyone a look. “Kirigiri didn’t say Nanami was going to be fine. She _said_ that we were just going to be there the first time she tried to interact with Nanami. So we don’t know if Nanami will be herself or not.”

 

“Dude!” Souda groans, pulling his beanie down. “Seriously, haven’t we been through enough?! Kirigiri’s like, super smart. You know? Everything’s going to be fine. She definitely fixed Nanami.”

 

Kuzuryuu glares at Souda. “Listen… I want to see Nanami come back as much as you do. But you need perspective. I don’t want anyone to get crushed if things… don’t go smoothly.”

 

Owari leans to the side and bumps Kuzuryuu’s arm, grinning lightheartedly. “Whatever, teeny gangster! We get it, we’re just glad to finally hear some good news, y’know? Chill out.”

 

“How many FUCKING times have I told you not to call me that-”

 

“Excuse me!” Sonia raises her voice. “Let’s not forget why we’re all here. Nidai-san, do you have any more questions?”

 

Nidai shakes his head firmly. “Not at the moment. If I think of any, I’ll let you know, but right now I definitely feel like exploring! I’m gonna check out the island, see what’s different and what’s not! Then, I’m going to get **straight to training**!”

 

“Nidai-san, I’m not sure if that’s the best idea, as you must still be feeling weak, and-”

 

“I’LL GO!” Owari shouts suddenly. When everyone looks at her questioningly, she doesn’t seem to notice - but her cheeks turn slightly pink, so you know she’s at least a little embarrassed. “I’ll go with him, help him explore the island and all. I’ll make sure he’s okay.”

 

 **“ALL RIGHT!”** Nidai’s booming voice makes everyone flinch slightly. “That’s settled! Anyone else want to come with?”

 

Nobody says anything, and Owari looks grateful. “Let’s not waste any time, Old Man! Go get changed, come on!”

 

Nidai gets up and heads for the doorway. “All right, all right. I’ll meet you outside.”

 

Sonia also gets up and heads towards the doorway, turning over her shoulder to address Tsumiki. “Tsumiki-san? Would you mind assisting me with something?” And just like that, the meeting’s over. Everyone except you and Souda file out of the room and you get up slowly, your mind in a daze.

 

_Nanami, huh… I’m finally going to get to see her again… To thank her for real…_

 

Souda clears his throat. “Hinata…? Are you okay?”

 

“…Yeah, I’m fine!” You smile, looking away. “I’m just… I’m just kind of…”

 

“Are you worried about seeing Nanami? Nothing bad’s gonna happen.” He analyzes your face, concerned that you may be upset.

 

“I’m not worried. Well, I am, but…”

 

 _It’s more like I’m… happy._   

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I never forgot about Nanami, I just couldn't find a time to bring her up until now. Thanks, Nidai.  
> Some things: Sonia and Owari are pretty much best friends. Souda's grown, and we're all very proud of him for that. Also, shipping is a thing (Yay, Soudam! Yay, Nidari!). I've yet to really touch on Kuzupeko, but don't worry - THAT IS TOTALLY HAPPENING.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! Your comments especially are keeping me going, so thanks for being so supportive! I've got BIG PLANS for this fic... Can't wait for all of you to find out what's next for our SDR2 Survivors!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanami makes an appearance... sort of.

 

“I’m very sorry about yesterday,” you bow, nervously eyeing the doctor standing in front of you. She’s the _only_ one on the third floor today, and it goes with your luck that you’d run into the doctor Kuzuryuu had yelled at.

 

She shifts her weight onto her left foot, crossing her arms, and you raise your head slightly. She doesn’t look angry - she’s… smiling at you? “It’s alright, Hinata-san. I understand the situation completely. It was I who acted out of order; I should not have suggested that you and your friends leave.”

 

You’re a little surprised at the honorific, but you don’t ask. Standing up straight, you give her an apologetic look. “Even so, we really appreciate the fact that you’re here, and we weren’t trying to seem ungrateful…”

 

“Think nothing more of it. I would not mind being shouted at a thousand times a day, as long as I would be allowed to remain here.” She extends her hand to you. “Now, to finally introduce myself. My name is Taeko Shishido, and I look forward to working with you, Hajime Hinata-san.”

 

You grip her hand firmly, your eyes widening in surprise. “N-Nice to meet you, Shishido-san… Um, excuse me, but why would you endure something like that just to stay here?”

 

She grimaces. “Things back home are - how should I put it? - not going very well. It’s more than I could have hoped to ask for, getting to stay on a beautiful island with breathable air and good people. I can go to sleep without fear here.”

 

You let go of her hand, trying to mask the guilt that suddenly threatens to drown you. “I see…”

 

She steps back, giving you enough space to enter the room. “Well, come in! I’m sure you came here to see your friends, not to have a chat with me.”

 

You move past her awkwardly, walking over to the first bed you see. After pulling a chair over and sitting next to Pekoyama, you glance over at Shishido. You can’t really tell what she’s doing exactly, but she seems to be tending to Ibuki. It’s odd, considering how formal she was earlier, but she gives off a really mother-y vibe. _Come to think of it, with her long black hair and striking green eyes, she even looks like my mother. Huh._

 

She turns to you. “Can I do anything for you, Hinata-san?”

 

You realize you were staring. “Oh, no, sorry. I was just lost in thought, I guess.”

 

“Alright.” She turns to her work, and you focus your attention on Pekoyama. She looks so peaceful, almost like a doll. You’re used to seeing her with braids and glasses, but currently her hair is down and, of course, she’s not wearing glasses. After all, she didn’t exactly need them right now. You notice that she’s wearing a bracelet, though, and you’re surprised - it’s a chain of fresh flowers. Obviously someone must have created it themselves, and when you look around you determine that Pekoyama’s the only person wearing one. _This is totally something Sonia would do. I guess I’ll ask her later why she only made one for Pekoyama, though. Maybe she’s making them for everyone but she can only do them one day at a time? Well, whatever._

 

Shishido addresses you once again, making you jump. “Hinata-san, if you wish to speak to her alone, I don’t mind leaving - oh, forgive me, I didn’t intend to startle you.”

 

“N-No, it’s okay.” You sigh in exasperation. “I’m just so damn jumpy today. Just wait, I’m gonna end up startling myself.”

 

She laughs good-naturedly. “I’m sure I’ve done that before, too. Anyway, like I was saying, I can leave if you wish - ”

 

“Oh, no, it’s fine.” You pause. “I might actually want to talk to you, though.”

 

“Is that so?” She walks over, leaning slightly on Pekoyama’s bed. “What is it you wish to discuss, then?”

 

You frown. “Well, I was just wondering if you knew anything about the other people who came to this island with you. I feel kind of bad now that I haven’t introduced myself yet.”

 

“No need to feel bad. We only arrived yesterday, after all, and things were pretty hectic for a while.” She taps her finger on the bed, concentrating. “To answer your question, my daughter Aiko is the head doctor here. She’s immensely bright, and I’m very fortunate to still be with her. As for the two nurses who came here, I know one of them; Kensuke Urabe used to be a coworker of mine. He’s a little narcissistic, but he’s got a comforting presence and is really a good person. The other nurse, Jiro Otoshiro, is a stranger to me, but he’s proved himself to be a good worker so far.”

 

You nod slowly, trying to memorize all the new names. “Alright… Taeko Shishido-san, Aiko Shishido-san, Kensuke Urabe-san, and Jiro Otoshiro-san. Thanks for telling me that.”

 

“Of course!” She smiles at you sweetly. “I appreciate that you asked. I think that says a lot about your character.”

 

“M-my character?” You look away. “Well, I guess…”

 

You can tell that she’s still looking at you. “You know, Hinata-san, as well as being a doctor, I’m a pretty successful psychiatrist. So if there’s anything you need to talk about, you can definitely come to me. Alright?”

 

“Th-Thanks…” The more you talk to her, the more motherly she seems. _Well, I guess she did say she had a kid. Good job noticing that, Hajime._

 

Your cell phone rings, and you nearly jump out of your skin. Fishing in your pockets for your phone as Shishido turns back to Ibuki’s bed, you complain, “Shit, I _am_ way too jumpy today. Part of the problem is that this phone is so loud, though. Couldn’t Souda have included different volume levels when he made this thing...?” You hear Shishido snicker as you press your phone to your ear. “Hello?”

 

“Hinata. It’s me.”

 

“Kirigiri-san?” You gulp, mouth suddenly dry. “Wh-what is it?”

 

Her voice is calm. “I just called to let you know that we will be attempting to make contact with Nanami-san at 21:00 in the Future Foundation building.”

 

You bite your lip. “...I see.”

 

“That’s all.” _Click_.

 

You stare down at the flowers on Pekoyama’s wrist, your stomach twisting in anxiety.

 

_This is it._

 

You spend the next half hour with your friends in the hospital, but you can’t get rid of the irresistible urge to get up and leave. Eventually, you just do, waving goodbye to Shishido on your way out the door.

 

You can’t wait any longer.

 

After getting to the Future Foundation building, you wander idly through the first floor, wondering which room you were supposed to go to. The building is utterly empty, and being the only one here is giving you the creeps. Maybe you really shouldn’t have come two hours early... you haven’t even eaten anything, since your stomach was so insistent of filling up on anxiety instead of actual nourishment. But it’s not a big deal.

 

Eventually, you come across a door marked ‘computer lab’, and figure this is probably where everyone will be meeting. Opening the door cautiously, you find the room empty, and enter. The room is spacious, but most of the computers are on the same side of the room as the door. In particular, there are normal-sized monitors, but they’re plugged into overly huge computers. The side of the room opposite you has a blank wall, a table, and several rolling chairs, so you figure it must be used for presentations. The room’s dark and quiet, and even with the hum of the computers it’s still unnerving. Hesitantly heading for the other side of the room, you take a seat at the head of the table and lean on it with your elbow, resting your chin in your hand. _It’s going to take a while for the others to get here, so I might as well.... just…_

 

* * *

 

 

Someone shakes you, hard. “Oi, Hinata! Hinata, wake up.”

 

You groan, raising your head and wiping your eyes blearily. “What is it?”

 

Kuzuryuu plops himself down in the seat next to yours. “You must’ve fallen asleep. How long have you even been here?”

 

You frown at him irritably. “How should I know? You just told me I’d fallen asleep.”

 

“Cool it, sassmaster.” Now that you're starting to wake up, you notice that Kuzuryuu’s actually wearing the suit that you remember from the simulation.

 

“Hey, is that…?”

 

“Oh, yeah.” He shrugs, putting both of his feet on the table and leaning back in his chair. “The new clothes Asahina got us are cool, but they also happened to save all of our outfits from before our.. ‘despair days’. I’m guessing we had some of this stuff with us when the Future Foundation picked us up, because then otherwise where the fuck would they have found this? Anyway, everyone’s old clothes are packed away in the storage room in this building’s second floor. I think they really do have everyone’s except Tsumiki’s and Teruteru’s - but that’s no big loss, since Tsumiki’s new outfit looks so much like her old one, and Teruteru’s old outfit was a fucking chef’s outfit. Easily replaceable, probably.”

 

You squint, scanning his face. “Kuzuryuu… you’re rambling an awful lot. Are you nervous?”

 

“Well, yeah.” He laughs slightly, seeming to relax a little. “I mean, this is a pretty big deal, you know? I didn’t become close with Nanami at all… but she was a cool chick. A friend.”

 

“Right…” You hum to yourself, tapping your fingers on the table. “It’s going to be fine, though. I’m just ready to see her again, I’m tired of waiting.”

 

He looks at you with concern. “Hinata…”

 

The door slams open, and both of you turn to see Sonia standing in the doorway, flanked by Owari and Tsumiki. Sonia skips into the room and plops into the chair next to Kuzuryuu, the other two not far behind. “What’s up, my bitches!”

 

Kuzuryuu turns to you and the two of you share an amused look before you answer Sonia. “Nothing much, you know us. Just playing the waiting game.”

 

Sonia claps her hands together excitedly. “The waiting game? I have not heard of such a thing! Would you allow me to join your game, Hinata?”

 

“...When I said the waiting game, I wasn’t talking about an actual game…” The corner of your mouth twitches.

 

“Ah.” She deflates. “Well. That is most unfortunate.”

 

Owari points a finger at you. “Hey, don’t ruin Sonia’s fun! If the waiting game isn’t an actual game, let’s make it into a game.”

 

“I agree! That would be better than just w-waiting.” Tsumiki clasps her hands together.

 

Kuzuryuu wrinkles his nose. “What kind of game would ‘the waiting game’ be, though?”

 

You can feel your eyebrow twitching. “Guys…”

 

“Perhaps one where we have a sort of contest?” Sonia appears to be thinking hard. “Hmm…”

 

_It’s no use. They’re already set on making up this game._

 

Owari slams her fist on the table. “I got it! Let’s try to guess who’s gonna walk in next.”

 

“Well, why not? Sounds kinda fun, and since it’s not a huge game we can be free to talk as normal until someone new comes through the door.” Kuzuryuu looks around, checking if everyone’s on board.

 

“I-I guess… That’s fine.” Tsumiki rubs her arm nervously. “My g-guess would be on Nidai-san.”

 

“Mine too!” Owari grins cheekily.

 

“I’m gonna go with Saionji.” Sonia says smoothly. “I asked her to be here early, since I know she’s usually late.”

 

 _All the more reason she’s probably not going to come here early, then_ , you think to yourself, but don’t vocalize it. “I’m putting my money on Kirigiri.”

 

Kuzuryuu nods. “Me, too. That makes the most sense.”

 

“And now, the wait!” Sonia cries dramatically, and you roll your eyes, a small smile on your face. You’re not sure if they’re doing this on purpose or not, but they’re really helping you calm down. You’re not as anxious anymore. It really is a great feeling, having friends like them...

 

The doorknob turns, and everyone strains their necks to see who it is. “And the winners are…” Owari pats her legs quickly, going for a drumroll “...Hinata and Kuzuryuu!” Kirigiri steps into the room cooly, closing the door behind her. “Hello, everyone. Don’t mind me, I’m just going to be getting everything ready.” She takes a seat in front of the room’s main computer, jiggling the mouse - probably to take it out of sleep mode. You can’t see what she’s doing from here, since the computer’s facing the door, but you’re glad because watching over her shoulder would probably make you more nervous.

 

“Alright, next round!” Sonia pumps her fist in the air. “I’m going to go with Nidai-san!”

 

“Me, too!” Owari says.

 

“M-me three.”

 

“I think I’m gonna go with Nidai, too.” Kuzuryuu adds.

 

“I… guess I’m going with Souda. It’s boring if we all choose the same person…” You frown.

 

“True, true… Sonia musues.

 

You turn to her, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, by the way… Why did you only make a bracelet for Pekoyama?”

 

“Eh?” She sits up straight, looking at you confusedly. “What are you talking about?”

 

“You know… the bracelet? Made of flowers? Why did you only make one for Pekoyama? I mean, it’s totally fine, I was just curious.”

 

She shakes her head. “Sorry, Hinata, but I have nothing to do with whatever bracelet you are referring to.”

 

“What? Then…” Your eyes slide over to Kuzuryuu, who’s casually avoiding eye contact. _Oh…_

 

The door opens, saving you from the awkwardness of that situation. Owari groans and slumps onto the table. “Man, Hinata, how did you get both of them? No fair!”

 

“Yo! Souda sits on your right, looking around in confusion. “Did I miss something?”

 

“No.” Kuzuryuu says blankly.

 

“Well, I’m going to guess Saionji-san!” Sonia says firmly.

 

“I think I will b-bet on Saionji-san as well…”

 

Owari scoffs. “Not me! I’m sticking with Nidai.”

 

“I think I am, too.” Kuzuryuu looks at you. “Well? You’re the ‘tie breaker’, Hinata.”

 

“I am?” You shrug indifferently. “Then, I think they’ll both show up at the same time.”

 

Kuzuryuu furrows his brow and turns to Sonia. “Is that allowed?” She shrugs.

 

“Five minutes.” Kirigiri calls from the front of the room.

 

“Thank goodness…” Tsumiki murmurs to herself, and everyone looks around awkwardly.

 

“Ohhhhh, I get it now. You guys are guessing who’s going to walk in next, huh?” Souda leans back in his chair. “And you picked me, huh, Hinata?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“I’m so honored! Ah, my soulfriend’s always thinking of me, huh?” He throws an arm around your shoulders.

 

You actually laugh. “Shut up, Souda.”

 

“Wait!” Kuzuryuu shushes everyone. “I think I hear something.”

 

You strain your ears, tilting your head to the side. “Hm, is that…?”

 

“...Don’t think you can just talk to me so casually! Ugh, you’re so gross.”

 

“Gehahahahaha! Whatever you say, Saionji.”

 

“No way…” Kuzuryuu gives you a _‘what the fuck?’_ look and everyone else stares at you. You shrug.

 

The door flies open, and the two of them stand in the doorway. “Get your grotesque body out of my way!” Saionji snaps. Nidai just shakes his head and lets her through, and Saionji stomps over to the table, aiming straight for Tsumiki. “Let me sit there!”

 

Tsumiki shoots out of her seat like a rocket. “Of course! H-here!” Saionji sits, and Tsumiki scurries over to the other side of the table, throwing herself in the seat next to Souda.

 

Kuzuryuu punches you in the arm. “What the fuck, man. Did you borrow Komaeda’s luck or something?”

 

“N-No…” Your eyebrows knit together. “How the hell would you even borrow someone else’s luck?”

 

Sonia waves her hand excitedly. “Oh, I know! You take something old, something new, something borrowed -”

 

Kuzuryuu snorts loudly. “Sonia, no, that’s _matrimony_.”

 

Saionji snickers. “She confused getting lucky with marriage, how stupid can you get..”

 

“Oh…”

 

Kirigiri clears her throat loudly and stands, drawing everyone’s attention. “I’m ready to begin.”

 

Everyone freezes, and Kirigiri adds “...As long as you all are.”

 

Nidai answers for everyone. “We’re ready! Give it **all you’ve got** , Kirigiri!”

 

She nods and clicks once, twice, three times before joining the eight of you at the table. The lights dim by themselves and a screen descends from the ceiling, covering the blank wall in front of you. The main computer’s screen is broadcasted onto this, showing a loading bar with the word ‘Hope’. Everyone waits in anticipation as the loading bar fills slowly.

 

28%...

 

45%...

 

69%... (Souda snickers)

 

81%...

 

100%.

 

The word ‘Hope’ lights up, and the screen turns white before fading to a beautiful blue. Clouds appear, dotting the screen haphazardly, and the rest of the landscape comes into focus. The screen shows you a beach, and your friends ‘ooh’ in recognition. It looks to be around noon, as the high sun beating down harshly onto the sand, and the waves are glimmering brightly.

 

Kirigiri begins speaking. “There are microphones throughout this room, and all of them connect with the program. There aren’t any video cameras that will connect with the program, though - at least for now - so you’ll be able to see and hear her, but she’ll only be able to hear you. Oh, and we’ll be looking at this world through the cameras set up in the simulation. Now, although this is the repaired file of Nanami-san from _your_ simulation, this setting is a copy. Made from all of the data that went into creating Jabberwock, I basically re-created the whole simulation. Make sense?” No one answers her. A lone figure has appeared at the edge of the screen, walking along the beach towards the camera.Your heart flies into your throat as the figure gets closer, and there’s no denying it… Nanami comes into view, and the sight takes everyone’s breath away. She looks tired - gripping onto the straps of her backpack, her footsteps are slow and sluggish. But you’re encouraged - looking this tired is just like her. Hopefully it really is her, inside and out.

 

“Nanami..” you breathe.

 

The poor girl nearly jumps out of her skin. “Huh?! Who’s there?” She looks around, putting her hand over her eyes to block out the sun.

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you!” You flinch anxiously.

 

“.......Hinata-kun?” Nanami looks around in obvious confusion, squinting at her surroundings.

 

“Oh, she can hear us!” Sonia clapped her hands joyously.

 

“Is that Sonia?” Nanami’s still trying to find the source of the voices.

 

Owari answered her enthusiastically. “Yeah! We’re all here, Nanami!”

 

Sonia elbows her. “No, we’re not, Owari, don’t tell her that! There’s only nine of us here.”

 

She barely notices that Sonia’s touched her. “Yeah, that’s what I meant! All nine of us are here!”

 

Nanami gives up on locating you, looking up at the sky. “So, what do you mean by ‘the nine of us’? Who is that? ...And where is ‘here’?”

 

Sonia rattles off your names calmly. “The nine of us are Hinata, Owari, Kuzuryuu, Souda, Tsumiki, Nidai, Saionji, and Kirigiri-san. Oh, I know you don’t know Kirigiri-san.. she’s from the Future Foundation, and she’s responsible for bringing you back to us.”

 

Nanami nods slowly. “I was wondering why I seemed to be alive..”

 

Kuzuryuu speaks up. “Yeah, and we’re all out of the simulation, There’s a building in the real world that the Future Foundation uses as headquarters on Jabberwock, that’s where we are. We’re actually seeing you through the camera on the beach there.”

 

They continue on with their explanations, but you quit paying attention. After all, everything they’re saying is just meaningless.. you can finally see Nanami, the person you were most sure you’d never be able to meet with again. It’s an overwhelming feeling, to say the least. You can’t help staring at her, drinking in her expressions eagerly.

 

“....but so far these ‘Fits of Despair’ haven’t been too horrible. We’ve managed to overcome them.. obviously, Tsumiki’s was the scariest, but she managed to snap out of it almost all by herself..”

 

Nanami taps her chin with her finger. “But it’s not just these 'Fits of Despair'. Isn’t that right?”

 

You raise your eyebrows, slightly confused. “..What do you mean, Nanami?”

 

She crosses her arms. “Well, I mean, you guys can’t possibly think you’ve left your despair behind.. right?”

 

The previously happy atmosphere cools in an instant. You can feel everyone’s apprehension swelling, and you blink at Nanami, hoping you’d misunderstood her. “What do you mean.. we haven’t left our despair behind?”

 

She looks unconcerned. “Well, I mean, you’re all still in despair, of course.”

 

Kuzuryuu clenches his fists. “What the fuck are you trying to do, Nanami? You know that’s not true!”

 

Nanami pushes her hair back and gives the camera a cold stare. Logically, you know she’s looking at the camera, and can’t see any of you.. but you still get the feeling she’s looking straight at each of you, her eyes darting from face to face. “Of course it’s true. There’s no way people like you could actually work towards the future together.. I know about all of the horrible things you did. Do you honestly think you can move on? All of you… will be in despair for the rest of your lives.”

 

Tsumiki cries out, clutching her head. “We’ll be in despair.. f-forever?”

 

“No!” Saionji snaps, glaring at the screen. “I don’t know what Nanami-nee thinks she’s saying, but if this is some kind of joke, I’ll pinch her so hard -”

 

“You think I’m joking?” Nanami interrupts her, smiling. “I’m not. I mean... you guys ended the world, didn’t you? It’s essentially your fault that millions of people, including your friends and family, have been killed. It’s your fault so many people’s lives are a living hell. There’s nothing you can do to escape that despair.”

 

“You’re wrong!” You slam your hands down on the table, making everyone jump. You feel sick to your stomach at this point - betrayed, fooled with.. You’d gotten your hopes up, and they’d been dashed to pieces. “And what’s more, _this_ is all wrong! You aren’t the Chiaki Nanami I know!”

 

With that, Kirigiri gets up and hurries towards the computers in the back of the room. Nanami smiles widely, staring into the camera with a strange look in her eyes. “The Chiaki Nanami you knew is dead and gone. You killed her, Hinata-kun. And she’s not coming back.”

 

“I killed her..?” You anxiously grip the edge of the table, trying not to show that she’s getting to you. “No, That’s definitely not true. You wanted - _Nanami_ wanted me to prove she was the traitor.”

 

“Is that kind of logic going to work here? Sounds like you’re just making excuses, you know. Anyway, I’m glad I got to hear from you again, Hinata-kun… Or should I say, Kamukura-kun?”

 

Kuzuryuu stands up, turning to Kirigiri with a desperate, angry look on his face. “Turn this shit off, right fucking _now_!”

 

She slams the mouse down. “I _can’t._  Nothing is working, the program isn’t recognizing my commands!”

 

Nanami laughs, sending a chill up your spine. “You’ll never be able to move on with your lives! Never! You’re only kidding yourselves now. There’s no way you’ll be able to make up for what you’ve done, so why bother? You should all just die! That’s the only worthwhile thing any of you will ever be able to do!”

 

“All of you, get out!” Kirigiri snaps, hurrying back over to the table. “Get up! Get out! I can’t turn it off, so leave! NOW!”

 

You can feel your anxiety pressing into you, and you’re bolted to your chair, sweat running down your forehead. Nanami laughs and laughs, her voice getting higher and more crazed. The others are moving around you, getting up from their chairs and running for the door, but you just - _can’t_ -

 

Kuzuryuu seizes you under your arm and drags you out of your chair, forcing you out the door and into the hallway. The last thing you see before he slams the door behind you is Kirigiri violently kicking one of the chairs at the table and sending it flying across the room.

 

Your friends are grouped outside of the door, breathing heavily, all upset in their own way. Owari looks pissed, Souda’s shocked into silence, Tsumiki looks like she’s about to pass out.. And yet, you somehow become the focus of attention.

 

“Oi, Hinata, are you okay? You’ve got a weird look on your face..”

 

“Hinata? Hinata..? Can you hear me?”

 

“Hinata-nii! You look so pale! Do you need me to pinch some life into you?”

 

“Hinata! Dismiss her words from your mind, they are meaningless!”

 

You clutch at your chest, snapping. “God, just.. Shut up!”

 

“Hinata?”

 

“Nii-san-”

 

“Oi, Hina-”

 

“I SAID, _SHUT UP!_ ” You spin on your heel. “I can’t take it anymore! Just leave me alone!”

 

“Hinata, calm down -”

 

“ _Leave me alone!_ ” You finally lose it and sprint down the hallway. You need to get away, you need to get out, you need to _go_ -

  
  
You spend the rest of the day and most of the night locked in your cabin, shaking, with your hands pressed over your ears and your heart clenching painfully. When you finally fall asleep, you doze fitfully, and your nightmares are more vivid and frightening than they ever were before.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'd apologize, but i'm not actually sorry.
> 
> oh, also, i'm really glad y'all are enjoying this so much! if you want to talk to me about it, you can @ me on twitter @komahinafucker or message me on tumblr (mykawaiinaomi). thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

 

You have no desire whatsoever to leave your bed. The morning light is an unwelcome sight, and you turn away from your window and bury your face in your pillow. You're still exhausted from the anxiety that had plagued you during the night, and you’re _not_ ready to get up. At all. In fact, maybe you’ll just stay in your cottage today.

 

_Yeah, that sounds nice... it’s always too hot outside anyways, and it’s not like anything important is going to happen today… probably…_

 

Just as you start drifting off to sleep, the door to your cottage flies off its hinges and _slams_ onto the carpet. Yelling in shock, you scramble backwards on your bed, your back hitting the wall with an audible thud. “What’s-?” You look wildly to the doorway, and stutter nervously when you see him. “N-Nidai! Wha-?!”

 

Nidai stomps into the room, pointing a finger at you. “Hinata! Get dressed! We’re going somewhere!”

 

“I-” You look down at your half-naked body, then back up at him. “What the hell, Nidai?! Why did you just barge in like that? You scared the crap out of me!" Your heart is still thudding wildly in your chest.

 

He waves his hand impatiently. "Just get going, already! We don't have time to talk about insignificant stuff like that!"

 

“Are you kidding me?” You give him a bewildered look. “I-“

 

Nidai cracks his knuckles, a somewhat frightening expression on his face. “Just do it! If you insist on resisting, I’ll use force to get you out of your cabin."

 

“...You’re not gonna leave me alone until I do this, are you?”

 

“RIGHT!”

 

Rubbing your temples, you stand and walk over to the dresser. “Fine. Fine! Have it your way. I was trying to catch up on sleep and I’ll have to change in the bathroom _since you broke my door down_ , but it’s whatever, I guess.”

 

Nidai looks a little guilty. “Uh. Well... Sorry about that, Hinata!”

 

You take your clothes into the bathroom, not even bothering to close the door. When you come back out fully dressed, you squint at Nidai suspiciously. “Why did you do that, anyway? You could have just knocked, right?”

 

He scratches his nose, frowning. “Well... If I had knocked, would you have answered the door?”

 

You hate to admit it, but he might have a point. You hadn’t really felt like being around people, at least not yet. “That... depends on how persistent you would have been.”

 

Nidai nods. “Well, in any case, I’ll definitely fix your door for you, Hinata! So there’s no need to worry about that, at least!”

 

“Yeah, okay.” You slip past him and step out of your cabin, wanting to just get this over with. Whatever this was. “So, _where_ are we going? And _what_ are we doing, exactly?”

 

Nidai follows you, grunting. "Well... I'm not really supposed to say..."

 

You give him a look. "Why not?"

 

"We wanted to make sure you came...”

 

You groan loudly. “So it’s gonna be THAT bad?”

 

“No, no!” A bead of sweat rolls down his forehead. “Just… trust us. Okay?”

 

“…..Fine.” you grumble. Nidai heaves a relieved sigh, then motions for you to follow him.  Yawning, you finally comply. It barely takes you a minute to reach your apparent destination; Nidai opens the door to the hotel’s lounge for you and ushers you inside. Hesitantly edging into the room, you’re surprised to see that the only person present – besides you and Nidai – is Souda, who’s conked out on the sofa.

 

Nidai leans over the couch and pokes him in the head. “Up and at ‘em, Souda! We’re here!”

 

“Not a hairdryer... no, that’s not gonna work…” Souda groans, still dreaming. You snort loudly.

 

Nidai shakes him a little. “Souda! We’re HERE. It’s TIME.”

 

Souda blinks once, twice, and then yawns loudly. “…G’mornign...”

 

“Sorry?” You tilt your head, smirking a little. “What did you say? It just sounded like a bunch of mush to me.”

 

“Shaddup.” Souda sits up and swings an arm out clumsily, missing you by a mile.

 

“Okay, that’s enough!” Nidai hauls Souda off the couch and onto his feet. “You set everything up, right? Turn it on.”

 

You blink. “Um. What…?” _Set up what now?_

Souda waves his hand, yawning again. “Oh, don’t worry, Hinata. It’s definitely nothin’ scary.”

 

_Oh great, that’s SO reassuring._

 

Souda shuffles over to the corner of the room, clicking the monitor on and fiddling with the dials. Nidai waves to you before clomping out of the room. Confused, you turn back to Souda, but he just shakes his head. “We’re gonna let you do this by yourself, dude. I’m leaving too, right after I – ” The screen lights up, depicting what looks to be an unkempt hotel room, and Souda jumps a little. “O-Oh, they’re ready. Okay.”

 

“They..?”

 

Souda walks over to you and pushes you towards the screen impatiently. “Alright man, you’ve gotta know how this works. Just talk normally, there’s a mic in the monitor. And a camera – see that little circle in the middle of the top of the screen? That’s where that is. That’s really all you need to know, so… see ya.” He heads for the door.

 

You turn back to him, bewildered. “But wait, Souda – ”

 

The door thuds shut.

 

You stare at it for a moment, wondering if you should just leave. Before you can commit to anything, though, you hear a voice behind you.

 

“Hinata-kun? Is that you?”

 

“Ah!” You whirl around to face the screen, heart pounding furiously in your chest. “N-Naegi!”

 

Naegi cheerfully waves at you from the monitor. From what you can see, the room is pretty bare, and in not the best shape. The wallpaper is curling at the edges, and there are greenish stains on the ceiling. Naegi’s sitting in a chair facing the camera, which you think must be resting on a desk, and are two girls are whispering to each other on a sofa in the corner. You recognize Fukawa, but the other girl is new to you. You’re not stupid, though – judging by where Naegi went, and the fact that Fukawa is there, this must be Naegi’s sister. She’s small, but she seems sturdy; and you can definitely tell she and Naegi are related. Fukawa looks different than the first – and last – time you’d seen her, too… It must be because she’s wearing a suit. Both girls are, in fact – _oh, and so is Naegi_.

 

“It is you!” Naegi grins. “Hey, long time no see, huh?”

 

“Yeah…” You click your tongue disapprovingly. “Jeez, why couldn’t they tell me this is what they wanted me to do?”

 

Naegi’s eyes widen. “Huh?”

 

You roll your eyes. “I was dragged over here not knowing what was going on… They made this out to be some huge deal, but I’m actually just talking to you, then?”

 

“That’s right…” Naegi scratches his cheek. “Sorry, they didn’t tell me that you wouldn’t know what was going on.”

 

You raise an eyebrow. “Speaking of… What _is_ going on? Not that I don’t enjoy talking to you, Naegi, but _why_ am I talking to you?”

 

He frowns, crossing his arms over his chest. “I… heard about what happened with Nanami-san.”

 

You avert your eyes from the screen, suddenly feeling awkward. “…Okay… and?”

 

“Hinata, listen.” He takes a deep breath. “I know you’re upset, but I really believe things will look up! After all, Kirigiri is really smart, and she’s had this whole team of experts working with her to try and get Nanami back to her old self. So even if it didn’t work this time, I know she’ll figure it out! So you will get to see Nanami again…”

 

“Naegi.”

  
  
“It’s supposed to be impossible for her to come back, but I know there’s a slight chance. So as long as you take hold of that chance and keep working…”

 

“Naegi.”

 

“I’m sure it’ll turn out fine! Like you said, at the end of that last tri-”

  
  
“NAEGI.”

 

He finally notices that you’ve been trying to catch his attention. “Wh-What?”

 

You shake your head exasperatingly. “Naegi, I’m actually completely fine about what happened.”

 

He blinks. “You – what?”

 

“I’m fine. About what happened yesterday. Well, I mean… I was really upset yesterday. And I had a rough night. But…” You scratch the back of your head awkwardly. “I don’t know, right before I fell asleep I had this vision. A thought? I don’t know. I could just hear her voice clearly, in my head... She was telling me ‘alright, that’s enough sulking! It’s time to move forward now, okay?’ …I mean, it was obviously just something I came up with, it’s not like she was the one who actually said any of that, but… I haven’t forgotten about everything I resolved to do before I woke up. I still believe that we can make our own futures… so I’m going to continue moving forward… and trust in Kirigiri for now. But if she can’t figure it out…” You narrow your eyes. “The eight of us are definitely going to take over and find a way to get our friend back.”

  
  
Naegi puts a hand over his heart, smiling warmly at you through the screen. “Hinata…”

 

You can feel your cheeks begin to burn, so you cough into your hand and turn away. “D-Don’t give me that look, it’s nothing… I’m just saying how I feel, is all.”

 

“But I’m really proud of you!” He hums happily. “Ah, hearing you talk like that makes me think even more certain our plans are going to succeed!”

 

“…What?’

 

“Oh, it’s nothing, nevermind!” He scratches his face again, which is something you’ve noticed he does when he’s wary. “A-Anyway, so... that’s that? You’re all good?”

 

“Yeah, Naegi, I’m…” You hesitate just long enough that he notices. “I’m fine about yesterday.”

 

“G-Good… then, is there something else that you need to talk about…?”

 

“No, I’m fine!” You can feel sweat trickle down your forehead. “Really, and I don’t want to bother you, so-”

 

“It’s fine!” He leans forward into the desk, his eyes piercing into you. “If there’s something bothering you, I want to help!”

 

“…I-Is that so?”

 

“Mhmm! We’re friends, remember?” He smiles, and you hear someone giggling in the background. Naegi spins around in his chair and looks at his sister imploringly, his voice cracking slightly. “D-Don’t laugh, Komaru! You’re embarrassing me!” Honestly, you’d forgotten she was even there.

 

She giggles again, grabbing Fukawa’s hand. “But you sound so cute, Onii-chan! You and Hinata-san kind of remind me of me and Touko-chan, since we’re the greatest friends! Right, Touko-chan?” Fukawa blushes and bites her thumbnail before shushing the other girl.

 

Naegi turns back to you. “A-Anyway… Is there anything you need to talk about?”

 

“Um.” You glance at the girls in the corner (who don’t _seem_ to be paying attention anymore but who knows) before looking back at Naegi. “I don’t know why I thought of this, but recently I’ve been worrying about… What comes after everyone wakes up.”

  
  
Naegi nods thoughtfully. “Go on.”

 

“Just… Okay.” You clench and unclench your fists as you talk, your anxiety beginning to show. “I still mean everything I just said, about making our own futures and all. But the only thing I’ve been thinking about since we woke up is getting all of our friends back! Now that it’s looking like that’s going to happen, I’m worried about what we’ll do _after_ that. I don’t even know… what I _want_ to do. Forget what I _can_ do.”

 

Naegi leans back in his chair, pursing his lips. “So, the bottom line is, you don’t know what you want to do?”

 

“Y-Yeah, I guess.”

 

“Well, do you have to decide that right now?”

 

“I… I guess not.”

 

“Hm...” Naegi nods to himself. “Then, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. You have time, you know? So it’s not really a big deal if you don’t know yet.”

 

“Tch.” Fukawa’s exasperation is clearly heard through the speakers. You’re not very pleased that she seemed to be listening to your conversation after all.

 

Naegi turns around once more. “W-What?”

 

Fukawa holds her hands up to her chest. “What kind of advice is that? You basically just said, ‘It’s fine for now’, but that’s only going to make him more stressed as time goes on, isn’t it?”

 

“…That’s…” Naegi looks down.

 

“You know.” Fukawa’s eyes narrow. “When you’re writing a book, a character has to have an inner motivation for everything. A reason they do what they do. A goal is one of those things that could be that inner motivation. And if your character doesn’t have an inner ‘motor’ of some sorts, their movements become sluggish. They don’t really have a reason to exist. They’re just a filler character. In other words, they’re trash.” She glares down at the floor.

 

Komaru laughs nervously. “Touko-chan… That’s too negative. Onii-chan’s trying to cheer Hinata-san up…”

 

“F-Fine... Then, since Hinata’s looks like he’s still functioning, I’d say he does have an ‘inner motor’. He just hasn’t realized what he really wants to do… but deep down, he knows.”

 

“That’s better, Touko-chan!” The younger girl grabs Fukawa’s hands again, smiling happily.

 

“…Probably.”

 

“T-Touko-chan!”

 

Naegi turns back to the camera, shaking his head regretfully. “I hope that helped, Hinata. I think I should go before they say anything else, though…”

 

You wave your hand, trying to soothe him. “Don’t worry about it! I’ll see you when you get back, Naegi.”

 

“Okay… Back to work for me! Fun…” He laughs to himself before shutting the camera off.

 

For a little while you just sit there, mulling over Fukawa’s ‘advice’.

 

_I should already know what I want to do? Is that… true? But I really don’t have any idea what I want to do. At least, I don’t think I have any idea. Am I just ignoring the truth? What truth am I ignoring?_

                                                                                                            

Heaving a weary sigh, you stand and stretch, raising your arms to the ceiling. It’s not doing you any good to think of this right now, so you might as well just get on with your day. _It would be useless to go back to bed now… What should I do?_

The door to the lounge opens slowly and you turn to eye it curiously. Someone peeks inside, eyes widening in surprise when he finds you looking at him. “Oh, Hinata! Done already…?”

 

“Yeah, I am...” you raise an eyebrow. “Why do you look so nervous, Nidai?”

 

“N-No reason!” He steps inside the lounge, bowing his head. “Uh… How did… it go?”

 

“I’m fine.” Your voice softens, and you join him at the door. “I appreciate that you guys tried to help me, really. But I found a way to get through what happened yesterday. So you don’t need to worry about me.”

 

“Ahhh, that’s great, Hinata!” He pounds your back and your knees buckle, but he doesn’t seem to notice. “You didn’t seem that way this morning though, so you can understand why I proceeded with the plan we made, of having you talk to Naegi. Right?”

 

The corner of your mouth lifts, and you give him an exasperated look. “Nidai. You guys all know how I am when I’ve just woken up, and it didn’t really help that you scared the shit out of me first thing in the morning.”

 

“Gehahahahaha! Well, all’s well that ends well! Where to next, Hinata? Up for a little training with me?”

 

You put your hands up quickly, trying to wave him off. “I-I don’t think-”

 

He grabs your arm, pulling you out the door and through the pavilion. “I’ve got just the thing! To the second island we go!”

 

_…..Why me?!_

* * *

  

“I’m _never_ going to train with Nidai again,” You groan to yourself, dragging your feet behind you as you hobble past the private beachhouse and head towards the diner’s parking lot. It feels like you’d been enduring Nidai’s training for days, but judging by the relentless searing of the sun’s rays, it’s only around noon.

 

_So I’ve only been training for around four hours… that’s three hours too many. I’m going back to bed._

You’re so out of it you think you could easily be compared to a zombie. Thank _god_ Owari had happened to cross paths with the two of you and was immediately inspired to challenge Nidai to a duel. Your muscles had practically cried in relief. Now you’re slowly inching your way towards happiness, step-by-step… Closer and closer to your bed with every minute that passes..

 

You’re almost to the bridge that leads to the central island.  _Just a bit more!_

 

That’s when you notice it. As you’re nearing the second island’s bridge, you can tell there’s a lump of… _something_ on the ground right in front of it. At first, you’re unaffected – you just squint at it as you walk closer, absentmindedly wondering what it could be. As you get closer, however, your anxiety presses into your chest and a look of horror dawns on your face.

 

There’s a _body_ sprawled face-down on the asphalt.

 

“ _Fuck_ ing…!” You run towards it despite your weariness, a sick feeling bubbling up in your stomach. Throwing yourself next to the body, it’s painstakingly clear who it is, even before you pull them onto their stomach with shaking fingers.

 

_It could only be…_

 

Kuzuryuu _._

 

You press your fingers to his neck, heart thudding erratically.

 

_Oh, thank god... Thank god…_

He has a pulse. He’s breathing. He’s not dead. You’re drowning in your own relief, clinging to his arm as though your life depends on it.

 

_...What’s wrong, though? Is it the heat? Did he pass out? Is he sick?_

 

“Kuzuryuu?” You try to wake him up, patting his shoulder since you’re worried that shaking him may be dangerous. He doesn’t respond, not to your voice or your touch. “Kuzuryuu? Oi, _Kuzuryuu_!”

 

Still nothing. There’s definitely something wrong… His breathing is irregular, and he’s visibly sweating.

 

“Shit, shit, shit, what do I do…!” You bite your lip, looking down at your friend anxiously.

 

_Maybe I can call Nidai and ask him to help me get him to the hospital... yeah, that’s it!_

Fumbling with the keys on your phone, you manage to dial Nidai’s number without letting go of Kuzuryuu’s arm.

 

Nidai doesn’t answer.

 

“Goddammit!” You shove your phone back into your pocket. No doubt he’s still fighting with Owari, and you can’t leave Kuzuryuu here by himself to go and get him… What’s more, you don’t have any of the doctor’s numbers. You don’t even know if they have phones!

 

“Well, there’s nothing else to do but…” You slide your hands under Kuzuryuu’s torso and sling his body over your shoulder. There’s no point in trying to get help since if no one answers your calls you’ll just be wasting time… and since you don’t know what’s wrong with your friend, wasting time could be very dangerous.

 

You walk as fast as your aching muscles allowed, wincing now and then because of the extra weight. Kuzuryuu is heavier than he looks, but that’s not what makes each step so agonizing. The blaring sun and the stifling air isn’t the problem, either – the problem is not knowing.

 

_What happened to him? ...I just hope he’ll be okay… Oh lord, I hope I’m not hurting him by moving him…_

 

You make it all the way to the middle of the bridge connecting the central island to the third island before your cell phone rings and scares the crap out of you. Wrapping one arm further around Kuzuryuu’s waist, you somehow manage to slip your hand into your pocket and answer the call. It’s Nidai calling.

 

_Good._

 

“Hinata! Sorry I missed your call –”

 

“Whatever! Listen, something’s wrong with Kuzuryuu, I found him passed out on the road and he won’t wake up –”

 

He interrupts hastily. “Where are you?”

 

“I’m almost to the third island –”

 

 _Click_.

 

It only takes Nidai and Owari four minutes to catch up with you.

* * *

 

It’s quiet in the first floor hallway of the hospital. All of your friends are waiting restlessly, sprawled out over the length of the floor. At first everyone had been standing outside of Kuzuryuu’s room, but as time had passed the whole group had gotten tired and had plopped themselves down.

 

So far you’ve heard no news.

 

Souda leans his head on your shoulder, making you jump. He yawns and doesn’t move his head away. “Oh, sorry, did I scare you? I’m just taking a nap, don’t mind me.”

 

 _Great_.

 

“I had hoped they would have told us something of Kuzuryuu-san’s… I mean, Kuzuryuu’s condition by now.” Sonia wrings her hands, frowning at the floor.

 

Owari puts her hands behind her head and leans back. “They probably forgot about us sitting out here, you know? I’m sure our teeny gangster’s fine.”

 

“It’s a good thing he didn’t hear you call him that again. “ You sigh, then laugh to yourself, remembering Kuzuryuu’s choice of words the last time Owari referred to him as the ‘teeny gangster’. “Remember last time? He said he’d bribe Nidai to keep him from giving you any massages for a month.”

 

“I’m not scared of him! The old man wouldn’t be bribed so easily.” Owari huffs and turns to Nidai. “Right?”

 

He shrugs. “It depends on what the bribe is, of course!”

 

Owari groans.

 

Saionji finally speaks up, folding her arms in front of her and giving everyone an angry glare. “Well, I’m not worried at all! That idiot isn’t going anywhere. It’s too hard to get rid of him.”

 

“If you’re so unconcerned then why do you sound so wound up?” Souda speaks without opening his eyes.

 

“…S-Stupid! I’m not wound up! I, I’m just bored –”

 

The door you’ve been waiting in front of opens and a handsome young male nurse steps out, cutting off Saionji’s tirade. You stand up so fast Souda falls to the ground with an indignant “ _Hey!”,_  but you’re too focused on what the nurse is going to say.

 

He nods to everyone and smiles, saying “He’ll be worn out, but he’s going to be just fine.” The sense of relief that sweeps through the room is almost tangible.

 

“Oh, thank goodness!” Sonia sighs, finally relaxing.

 

Tsumiki raises her voice. “Wh-What seemed to be the problem?”

 

“Ah. Well.” The nurse shakes his head. “Snake bite.”

 

“Snake bite?!” Souda yelps.

 

The nurse runs his fingers through his hair and sighs. “I’m afraid so.”

 

Saionji clicks her tongue and turns away. “Stupid Hinata-nii!”

 

You startle, staring at her incredulously. “What? Why are you calling me – what do I have to do with that?!”

 

“You’re the one who said you couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him when you found him.” She sniffs haughtily. “You couldn’t even tell that he was bitten by a snake?”

 

The nurse interrupts. “Actually, the bite was in a place you wouldn’t think to check normally.”

 

“S-Seriously?” Souda looks terrified all of a sudden. “Where?!”

 

“His... well, yeah, his butt.”

 

The group cringes.

 

Souda whimpers. “Better him than me.”

 

“Well, he’s been treated, so he should be ready for visitors soon! I’ll be heading up to the third floor now, since everyone else is helping with Kuzuryuu-kun… If you guys need me, don’t hesitate to talk to me! Name’s Kensuke Urabe. I’d love to help any of you out. _Especially_ any of you ladies.” The nurse winks at the girls, then corrects himself. “Well, actually, I swing both ways. Er, every way, really, so I’d be happy to help any of you, in any way I can.” He smiles cheekily and bows once before heading off to the third floor. The group looks at each other, unsure of what to say after hearing something like that.

 

Souda groans and rubs his temples. “Man, I keep forgetting how old we are. I was just thinking how weird it was for this guy to be flirting with high school students but. We’re probably only like, a few years younger than him.”

 

Saionji shakes her head and scowls, not paying any attention to what Souda’s saying. “Man, why is it that everyone I meet is so _weird_ and _idiotic_?”

 

Sonia giggles but holds up her hands to placate her. “Now, now, Saionji –”

 

The alarm cuts her off.

 

Suddenly, it’s a mad dash up the stairs. Tsumiki trips on the second floor and gets left behind, and your friends are subconsciously jostling each other, trying to reach the third floor fastest. You skid to a halt when you reach the third floor, though, because – that nurse again. Urabe. He’s standing in the corridor, looking like he’s just seen a ghost, and he’s thrown his arms out to get everyone’s attention.

 

“I’m sorry, it’s just –” He shouts over the keen of the alarm, a desperate look on his face. “I need to warn you, before you see –”

 

“Outta my way!” Owari snaps, and pushes past him. The rest of you follow her immediately, ignoring Urabe’s cry to _“Wait!”_

 

The door slides open with a band and everyone crams themselves into the room. For a moment, nothing happens. Nobody reacts. And then everyone seems to gasp at once, and it feels as though the air has been sucked out of the room.

 

The last time you were here, seven of your friends were still comatose.

 

Now, there’s only one person who’s still stuck in a deep sleep.

 

Komaeda. 

 

He's surrounded by six empty beds.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... I am so, so sorry about how long it took me to upload this. A lot of stuff happened - I went to college, got really sick, and then was completely swamped with homework. I'm better now but it's a lot harder for me to write now that I have school - and especially because i'm not used to having this much work. So I'll try to work on this as much as I can, but I'm not sure how often I can update it? That being said, no matter what happens I am going to keep working on this fic. So I hope you'll be patient with me! Also, if you don't mind leaving a comment I would really appreciate it! Comments make me more motivated. And I really want to do a good job with this story!  
> Also, Kensuke Urabe is very loosely based off of Kensuke Kurosaki from Corpse Party. I guess if I want to be more accurate I should say he's based off of the twitter account @KurosakiKensuke . And yes, if you know corpse party, I gave him Emi's last name.  
> Finally, the editing for this chapter was kind of rushed, so if there are any typos or grammar issues please let me know! My tumblr is mykawaiinaomi and my twitter is @komahinafucker.  
> Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

 

For a moment, no one moves. No one breathes.

 

Then Sonia shrieks, and the spell is broken.

 

“Where are they?!” Sonia cries. “Where is Tanaka-san?? Where are the others?”

 

“Koizumi-nee!”

 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH, THEY’RE COMING FOR US!! WE’RE DEAD, WE’RE DEAD-”

 

“SHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!” Nidai roars, even louder than the alarm, and everyone flinches. “Let’s discuss this calmly! No freaking out! AND WILL SOMEONE TURN OFF THAT DAMN ALARM?!”

 

“I got it!” Souda squeaks and rushes over to silence the alarm system.

 

“And you!” Nidai points at the nurse, who’s still standing in the doorway. “We have some questions for you.”

 

The nurse steps into the room, looking extremely troubled “I-I don’t know what happened! They’re all supposed to be in here, n-none of us moved them! there must be some mistake!”

 

“A mistake?!” Owari repeats incredulously. “A mistake?! Our friends have vanished, and you're calling it a _mistake_?!”

 

He flinches, “I’ll go get the others, maybe they know something I don't-” And takes off down the hallway without a second glance.

 

“THIS IS RIDICULOUS!” Owari yells, her face contorted with fury. “How could they have just disappeared??” Everyone seems to be at a complete loss for words.. or ideas.

 

Until Souda speaks up.

 

“I… I don’t think that’s what’s happened here.” He says quietly, sitting on one of the empty beds.

 

Owari advances on him. “What then, Souda? Did they get up and walk away? Huh?! Is that what happened??”

 

Souda shakes his head vigorously “No! I'm just saying that maybe.. We’ve been wrong to trust the staff the Future Foundation sent to take care of our friends.”

 

Sonia makes a face. “You think this is the Future Foundation’s doing?”

 

“Why not?” he looks at all of you with clear desperation etched into his face, his arms outstretched. “Who really thinks they truly accept that we got to live _that easily_? Naegi himself said he was expecting a much bigger fight than what they gave him. Maybe they’ve been trying to get to us all this time, waiting for the moment when we finally let our guard down-” He moans and grabs his beanie, his eyes tearing up. “I can't believe I didn't realize this before..!”

 

“Hold on, hold on.” Sonia raises her hands and speaks soothingly, trying to calm Souda down. “Have you forgotten? Naegi handpicked all of the staff here. These people are not our enemies.”

 

“Well maybe _Naegi-_ ”

 

“Naegi is not a traitor.” You interrupt, glaring at Souda. “He’s trying to protect us. He’s my friend. So _don’t_ finish that sentence.”

 

“Fine!” He snaps. “That doesn’t mean he couldn’t have been fooled by these people.”

 

Owari crosses her arms and looks down. “He has a point…”

 

Sonia groans. “Not you too, Akane!”

 

“But…” You look down, remembering how helpful and reassuring Taeko had been. “They seemed really trustworthy.”

 

“Maybe it’s not all of them, I don’t know. Maybe it’s just one or two.” Souda sighs. “Point is, I don’t think we should trust them. I don’t think we _can_ trust them.”

 

“Well, what can we do about that at this point?!” Saionji snaps. “If they did something to our friends, it’s too late to stop them now!”

 

“It doesn’t make sense,” Sonia frowns, shaking her head. “Why would they have taken such good care of everyone if their ultimate goal was to harm them..?”

 

Nidai leans in. “They could have easily killed us beforehand and made it seem like an accident, or like it was a natural death. You probably wouldn’t have been able to tell! ...But I’m awake, and so is Saionji, and so is Tsumiki.”

 

“Well, how am I supposed to know why they waited?!” Saionji grinds her teeth, tears beginning to well in her eyes. “They still hurt them.. They’re probably the reason that stupid baby gangster is hurt, too!”

 

You jolt backwards. “W-Wait, what?? Kuzuryuu was bitten by a snake-”

 

“Who told you that?” She stalks over to you and stares you down, making you gulp and look away.

 

Tsumiki finally speaks up timidly “U-Um, you know, we shouldn’t make all these accusations without proof..”

 

Saionji immediately turns and hisses at her. “A dirty bitch like you is too stupid to understand! They obviously did this!”

 

“Saionji!” Sonia chides her immediately. “You said you would stop that! And anyway, Tsumiki-san is right! We mustn't condemn them. Innocent until proven guilty!”

 

“You want us to prove them guilty?” Owari whispers. A chill goes through the room as the implications of those words sink in, and Sonia looks horrified with herself.

 

“N-No! That is not what I meant. Listen, everyone, we’re wasting time. We need to stop arguing and go out to look for our friends!”

 

You frown. “Look for them? They’re not gone already?”

 

She shakes her head. “We would know if a ship had come to the island. Or a helicopter, or a plane for that matter. Wherever they are and whatever happened to them, they _must_ still be on the island.”

 

“What are we still doing here, then?!” Souda yelps and jumps up, ready to rush out of the room. However, at that very moment Urabe and Taeko enter, a third doctor you vaguely recognize right on their heels. Taeko gasps when she sees the empty beds, and once again you doubt her involvement in the disappearance of your friends.

 

“Where are the patients?” Taeko looks at the third doctor beseechingly. “Did you know about this, Aiko?”

 

“I didn’t.” Aiko eyes all of you one by one, an angry glint in her eyes. “I hope none of you had anything to do with this.”

 

Saionji almost launches herself at the head doctor, snarling. “Of course we didn’t, you stupid bitch! You’re the ones who -” You clap your hand over her mouth, shaking your head warningly. She pushes your hand away but actually listens to you and keeps her mouth shut - although, judging by the furious glare she’s shooting at you, she clearly isn’t happy about it.

 

Souda makes an impatient gesture. “We don’t have time to chat about how surprised we are that they’re not here! We need to find them, now.”

 

Aiko frowns but nods. “...You’re right. You should search immediately.”

 

“Wait!” Owari stops the group as everyone moves to leave the room, her eyes lingering on the doctors. “...One of us should stay here.”

 

“Why?” Urabe asks.

 

His question is met with silence.

 

Eventually, Sonia tilts her head. “Which one of us?”

 

“Hinata.”

 

You jump. “What? Why me??”

 

Because you’re good at figuring shit out.” She looks you over. “Listen, besides looking for our friends, we need to find out what happened here, right?”

 

Souda agrees. “And I, for one, would like to know why everyone _except fucking Komaeda_ is missing.”

 

You glance over at Komaeda’s still form, frowning worriedly. “I.. you’re right. I’ll stay and see if I can figure anything out.”

 

“Thank you.” With that, they leave the room, discussing loudly where each person should go to search. You see Aiko whisper something into her mother’s ears, and Taeko nods before exiting, leaving you alone with her daughter (and Komaeda).

 

Before you can so much as open your mouth she holds her hand up. “I’m not here to do anything to you or hinder your work. In fact, I won’t even check on that young man over there. I’m just going to sit here and watch. Alright?”

 

“O..kay.” She sits on one of the empty beds and you stare at her blankly for a second before turning to thoroughly examine the room.

 

This is not bringing back good memories.

 

But you’re not going to think about it. You’re not going to think about any of it. _Just focus on the task at hand. There are people missing. Missing, not…_ You shake your head, trying to clear it, and finally manage to focus on the room.

 

Although Komaeda is easily the most conspicuous thing - _person_ \- in here, the first thing you really notice is the funny blob of white at the window. When you walk over, you see that one of the windowpanes is missing; broken, actually, except there’s hardly any glass scattered on the floor. Although the window is closed, a white cloth is wrapped around the bottom, part of it sticking out of the window.

 

“Well that’s… weird…” You mutter to yourself. _Why is this here?_ Did it come from this room? The only fabrics in here are the pillowcases and the sheets to the patient’s beds. Looking around at all of the beds, you determine that none of them are missing pillowcases, but… wait.

 

You pull the top sheet off of one of the beds and your suspicions are confirmed. The fitted sheet is definitely missing. Going around the room you find that _all_ of the fitted sheets are missing, all except the one on Komaeda’s bed.

 

_But… why? If there’s just a tiny bit of fabric tied to the window the fitted sheets shouldn’t all be missing… Not even one of the fitted sheets should be missing, it’s such a tiny piece of fabric. Where are the sheets? If there’s fabric tied to the window, they must… be…_

 

You go back to the window and pull it open, staring down. Sure enough, there’s a pile of white fabric lying on the ground, a full three stories below you.

 

But that means… That _must_ mean…

 

You close the window and turn to Aiko. “Can I ask you something?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“How… How likely is it that more than one person woke up at the same time?”

 

She looks surprised, but humors you. “Well, it’s extremely unlikely, but not impossible. Especially if there was some unknown catalyst that sped up the process of their awakening. Does that make sense..?”

 

“Yeah, that makes sense.” You pace the room, biting your lip. “I think… that may be what happened.”

 

“You think they all woke up at once?” She obviously doubts you. “That’s extremely unlikely, like I said.”

 

“You also said it wasn’t impossible!” You remind her, then gesture to Komaeda. “And anyway, if I’m correct, they didn’t all wake up at once.”

 

Aiko frowns, still unwilling to approve of the idea. “Still, six of them at once? The odds of that happening are… Extremely low.”

 

You shrug. “I guess we’ll find out whether I’m right or not.”

 

“I suppose so. And we may find out within the next minute.”

 

“...What?” You blink.

 

“If they all woke up at the same time, and that’s why they’re missing…” She gestures around her. “What happened to their restraints?”

 

“Oh…” You glance at the bed closest to you. “I…”

 

What _did_ happen to the restraints?

 

“Give me a minute.” You walk around the room, checking all of the restraints carefully. Most of them are fully intact, except -

 

“Ibuki!”

 

“Pardon me?”

 

You gesture to her bed. “Ibuki’s restraints… They’re severed!”

 

“What?!” Aiko actually stands up and rushes over to look. “Oh! They are…”

 

“And you _have_ to know what that means. There wouldn’t be any reason for any of _us_ to cut Ibuki’s restraints.” You gesture to the bed. “She must have done it herself!”

 

Aiko frowns. “Unless someone cut the restraints to throw us off.”

 

“Well…” You shake your head. “I doubt it. There _is_ other evidence that supports my theory…”

 

She crosses her arms impatiently. “Then _how_ would she have cut the restraints? We don’t leave sharp things lying around. And it isn’t like she had a knife hidden in her pocket! Each patient has been searched, and they’re all wearing hospital gowns anyway.”

 

“Uh, then…” You scratch the back of your head. “Maybe I should look around some more.”

 

She sits once more. “Yes, maybe you should.”

 

You decide to ignore that comment and look down at the restraints once more. _The fabric is frayed, not cut cleanly. Does that mean anything?_

 

You decide to move on… However, after ten minutes of searching the room, you’ve found nothing. You’ve looked under mattresses and behind the door, and triple checked basically everything. You’re starting to get frustrated, too, until -

 

Aiko heaves a huge sigh. “There’s really only one place you haven’t checked yet, you know.”

 

“Where?!” You snap.

 

She scoffs “The _trashcan_.”

 

“.......Oh.” You unceremoniously dump the trash can’s contents on the floor and sift through them with your foot. “Um, I don’t see much… there’s tissues, glass, an apple core, and… screws?”

 

She tilts her head. “Screws?”

 

“Yeah, screws.” You kneel and pick one up. “I wonder what they go to?”

 

“Does it matter?” She shrugs. “I only see four.”

 

“Yeah…” You circle the room once more, checking the beds especially. “Nothing seems to be missing any screws, so it might not…”

 

“Okay, so that’s everything, right?” She crosses her legs. “What’s your conclusion?”

 

“Hmm…” You frown. “Well… I still feel like I’m missing evidence. Because I _do_ think Ibuki cut her restraints. But I don’t know how.”

 

“So since you’ve concluded that she cut her own restraints, you must have also decided that she woke up.”

 

“Y-Yes.”

 

“Is she the only one who woke up?” She looks as though she already knows what you’re going to say.

 

“No. I think… I think everyone who went missing woke up.”

 

“So, all of the _comatose patients,_ excluding one, just woke up. All at once.”

 

“Th-That’s right.”

 

She raises an eyebrow. “On their own.”

 

“I… guess??”

 

She sighs.

 

“No, but really!” You search for the right words. “Listen, I know it sounds kind of unlikely, but compared with everything else that’s happened to us… A-And I don’t believe anyone on this island did anything to them, so if they’re missing, it must be because they moved themselves.”

 

Aiko looks genuinely surprised. “You don’t believe anyone on this island did anything? Including us?”

 

You blink, surprised. “Y-Yeah… I mean, of course I don’t think it was one of my friends… And I don’t think it was any of you, either. Naegi picked all of you, and I trust him! Besides… I’ve talked to Taeko and she seemed really trustworthy. _Seems_ trustworthy, I mean.”

 

Aiko’s features soften. “She is. I’m glad you think so.”

 

“S-So! Anyway… I also think I figured out how they left the hospital.”

 

“Alright, how?”

 

You point at the window. “There are a bunch of fitted sheets lying on the ground outside, and a scrap of fabric tied to the window. So, most likely, they tied the fitted sheets together, and then to the window. After that, one person climbed out onto the ledge of the window and shut the window on the sheet, then climbed down to the ground.”

 

She squints at you. “I think I get what you’re saying, but that sounds kind of complicated.”

 

“Sorry… um… Well, after one person gets down to the ground, the window’s re-opened and the next person climbs out, closes the window, and climbs down. Then the next person, and so on.”

 

“Ah, I see…” She nods at the piece of fabric tied around the window. “One of the windowpanes isn’t there anymore. So the sheets were tied around the bottom frame of the window, and since the window moves up-and-down, each person had to shut the window once they stepped onto the ledge outside of it.”

 

“Yeah, that’s it! Does that make sense?”

 

“Hmm… it does… sort of.”

 

You deflate a little. “Sort of…?”

 

She sighs. “It makes sense in theory, but I feel as though it’s a bit clumsy. My main concern, however, is that I just don’t think any of those patients would have been strong enough to climb down to the ground in that manner.”

 

“Oh…” You pause. “Well, Tsumiki had the strength to nearly strangle Komaeda when she woke up, which was pretty unexpected, so… maybe it’s a side affect from the Fits of Despair?”

 

 _Wait, shit._ Your eyes widen. _If I’m right, and they woke up and left the hospital on their own…_

 

Aiko doesn’t seem to notice your sudden trepidation. “That also seems very unlikely to me. However, I will admit that you have a point. Shall we accept your theory for now? At least until we have more evidence?”

 

“Yeah…” You say distractedly, then bite your lip. _Wait, no._

 

Aiko is right, this whole thing does feel kind of sloppy. More than that, though, what bothers you the most is the feeling that you’ve overlooked something. If you’ve learned anything from the trials you had to go through in the simulation, it’s that there was _always_ more to the story than what met the eye.

 

So what are you overlooking?

 

“Actually…” You turn to Aiko. “I’m going to, uh, triple check the room.”

 

“Oh.” She tilts her head. “Why?”

 

“Just to be sure… And, to be honest… The screws are still bothering me.”

 

She leans back, sighing a little. “Well, suit yourself. It can’t hurt.”

 

There’s _got_ to be something you’re overlooking. Something… Not the windows… not the beds… not the lights, or the cabinet, or the equipment you’ve already checked… Not the trash can, not the vent…

 

Wait. Not the vent?

 

You crouch down on the ground to get a closer look, and sure enough, the vent cover is missing four screws.

 

“Aiko, I found it!!” You wave her over excitedly. “The screws go to the vent!”

 

She crouches next to you and squints at the vent. “I’m surprised you even noticed… What’s holding this cover up, then?” She tugs on it, but it doesn’t move.

 

“Good question… You pull on it with her, but it _still_ doesn’t budge. “What the hell?!”

 

“This could be important,” She frets. “This _definitely_ isn’t Japanese-made, it’s big enough to fit a person!!”

 

“That’s what I was thinking… Oh!” You scramble to your feet and head for the cabinet, then pull a little bottle out of the bottom drawer. “I noticed this earlier… Maybe this is why we can’t move the cover!”

 

“Superglue?”

 

“Yeah… I mean, that’s gotta be it, right?”

 

“Hold on!” She jumps to her feet and runs out of the room, returning a minute later with another small orange bottle. “Tah-dah! Superglue remover!”

 

“I’m so glad you knew where that was and I didn’t have to go looking for it.” The two of you get right to work on the vent cover.

 

“So _now_ what’s your theory?” She asks.

 

“Maybe… Probably everything I said before was made up.” You admit. “They didn’t actually do any of that, they just made it look like they had. I don’t know why, though…”

 

“Well,” She tugs on the cover until it slides downward just a bit. “Are you saying this was how they left the room?”

 

“Yeah… yeah, definitely. All they had to do was create that fake escape with the sheets, coat the back of this with superglue, and then the last person to enter went feet-first so they could put the air duct into place.”

 

“They probably did it to hide their location. At first we thought they had escaped outside the hospital, but if they really went through the air vents…”

 

“They must still be in the hospital,” You finish for her. “That really _is_ the oldest trick in the book.”

 

“Precisely.” You’ve almost got the cover off of the vent at this point. “I don’t see the point in all this though, surely there is no way for them to leave the island?”

 

“Well, but they sure can wreck havoc on the island if they want.” You shiver. “As soon as we get this off, can you call the others and let them know what we’ve found?”

 

“Yes. You’re going through the vent, right?”

 

“I am. I feel as though just going around opening doors is a bad idea…” Confronting all of them at once, by yourself, (probably) in the middle of their Fits of Despair is _not_ something you want to happen. At _all_.

 

“You’re probably right. I’ll stay here. Aaaaaaand…” The cover slides off the vent. “It’s off!”

 

“Okay… I’ll be back, I guess.” You begin to slide into the vent, your heartbeat picking up.

 

“Good luck.” She pauses before adding “Don’t do anything stupid!”

 

“I know, I know…” You face forward again, rolling your eyes. “Don’t worry. These things _always_ turn out in my favor, you know.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so. first of all. i am so sorry about how long it takes me to update... college is honestly killing me. but!! i managed to at least do this much!! this chapter is such a beast and it was becoming waaaaaay too long, so i just decided to split it up. Especially because the next part is even longer than this part.  
> don't worry if you didn't understand the stuff about the sheets n the window... it didn't actually happen so nbd. also i hope u guys enjoyed hinata's sass at the end  
> once again, i can't guarantee a super fast update but oh my gosh i'm going to try to update WAY earlier than it took me this time. it'll probably be easier since the beginning of the next chapter is already written... and hey guys!! if you want me to update faster there's one really simple thing you can do to help!! talk to me about this fic, PLEASE. part of the reason it took so long to update (besides, you know, college and dying) was because i felt like nobody cared about this fic or liked it really?? so i wasn't motivated enough. don't get me wrong i am VERY pleased with each and every comment ive received on this fic, but there aren't too many. please let me know if i'm doing something right, or something wrong for that matter!! two people messaged me about this fic on tumblr and it's actually kind of amazing how much that helped. (if you wanna talk to me my tumblr is mykawaiinaomi and my twitter is @komahinafucker !!)  
> that being said, thank you guys so much for reading. i hope you've enjoyed so far, i got a ton of stuff planned... i mean, 11 chapters in and komaeda's not even awake yet. that's GOTTA tell u something about how in-depth i plan to go with this lol. and don't worry.. he'll be making an appearance within probably two chapters, three at the very latest. (so talk to me about this fic if you want to read that sooner!! :p ) see ya @ the next update!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata finds out what became of his friends and Tsumiki spends some time reflecting on her love.

 

When you saw them for the first time after the simulation ended, you should have been revolted… but all you could feel was disbelief.

 

"That's… them? _That's_ the Byakuya Togami we befriended in the simulation..?"

 

"Yes." He snorts. "You _were_ informed that there would be physical differences, were you not?"

 

"Yes, but…" You stare down at them and place your hand on the green glass enclosing their body. "…This is something else entirely."

 

"Humph. I almost prefer them this way."

 

"Of course you would say that, Togami…"

 

"Silence."

 

"But, it's just…! How did they even get themselves to look that way?"

 

Togami rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "Plastic surgery, obviously. It's easy to change using that method, among others. Now will you just assist me in getting them out of there?"

 

You frown and reluctantly turn back to the task at hand. "Fine, fine…"

 

* * *

 

After the initial shock had worn off, you'd honestly forgotten about how the Super High School Level Imposter had changed. After all, they had been sound asleep - and unanimated - for months, so it was easy to get used to their appearance… As long as they were asleep.

 

Which is why, you couldn't help gasping after seeing them through the vent cover in the hospital.

 

There are other people in the room with them, of course, but your eyes are immediately drawn to their figure; so much like the one you remember. Your heart starts pounding furiously and you can feel the anxiety building… You know they haven’t really changed, but they just look so much like… _her_.

 

Then you realize you've made an audible noise and quickly cover your mouth; luckily, although Ibuki had glanced at your hiding spot, no one else seemed to have realized that you were there. _Thank god_ … You exhale silently and berate yourself. _I should be paying better attention… I don’t know what they’ll do to me if they find me._

Taking a deep breath, you focus your attention on what you can see in the room. Pekoyama, Ibuki, and the Super High School Level Imposter stand gathered around an empty bed in the middle of the room, speaking to one another in harsh whispers. You can only see partially into the room as the vent is not very big, so you’re not sure, but it seems as though Tanaka is leaning against the door (you can _just_ see his feet). You can’t see Koizumi or Hanamura… you hope they’re in the room, at least. It would be bad if they weren’t.

 

…Honestly, though, from what you can see, they all look… Well, very different physically from what you remember in the simulation, of course, but they seem to be working together to talk over something. Which is very unlike Super High School Level Despair. _What happened to the Fits of Despair? Do they only have memories from the simulation, unlike the rest of us? Although that hardly makes sense…_

 

You can see Ibuki stomp her foot and you try to listen in on what’s being said. "They've gotta be here! Ibuki _knows_ it! Ibuki can sense these things!"

 

 _They_ speak for the first time, and you're relieved to find that their voice is almost the same as you remember it, just a bit higher and lighter. "We _can't_ know that because you _can't_ sense these things, Ibuki. Stop spouting nonsense."

 

"It is senseless to continue to argue these same points over and over." Pekoyama’s hands are clenched as she stares the others down. "Let us go out and search for them… I will cut down anyone in our path."

 

_Them, them… Who is 'them'? …The Future Foundation members? I have a bad feeling about this…_

 

 _They_ answer. "Out of the question. You could become surrounded, and the rest of us are not fighters. Besides, you are still weak."

 

"But, as I _said_ ," Pekoyama continues, sounding slightly aggravated, "We cannot just stay here and go over the same things over and over, we will be found out. Let. Me. _Go_."

 

"Your emotions are clouding your judgment, impatient one," Tanaka speaks up, uncrossing and re-crossing his legs. "Acting with haste will invite chaos and destruction upon us all.”

 

“It is _inaction_ that will invite chaos!” Pekoyama snarls, reaching behind and grasping at empty air before realizing her shinai is missing.

 

“Hey, hey. Quit fighting! Ibuki has an idea!”

 

She’s met with silence.

 

She crosses her arm and huffs. “Oh, come _on_ , Ibuki can come up with good plans! You don’t even know what Ibuki was going to say!”

 

You don’t hear Pekoyama’s reply because you’ve just inhaled dust, and now you _really_ have to sneeze. Desperately trying not to make any noise, with your eyes watering, you hold your finger under your nose and try to keep it in while the others continue arguing. _Please no, not now…_

 

You manage to hold it back and finally relax. _They won’t find me now._

 

Then your phone starts to vibrate.

 

You thrust your hand into your pocket, fumbling to turn it off but it’s too late – you glance up to see Ibuki whip around and stare right at the vent. “Guys, there’s someone there. Somebody followed us…!”

 

Pekoyama moves faster than you have time to react, and in an instant she’s ripped the cover off of the air vent and dragged you out onto the floor. “No!” You cry out, involuntarily throwing your arms up to hide your face.

 

But nothing happens. No one hits you, or kicks you, or even says a word. So you slowly lower your arms and look up at the others.

 

“…Hinata?” Pekoyama’s eyes widen in surprise.

 

“Hajime-chan!!” Ibuki throws herself on top of you and clings to your neck. “It’s really you..!”

 

“I-Ibuki?!” You’re so stunned you can only blink up at her. “How..?”

 

She sniffs and tightens her grip. “Ibuki thought something terrible might’ve happened to you, Hajime-chan! But you’re alright!! Oh, what a glorious reunion!”

 

_They’re not… In despair?_

 

“A-Aha…” You pat her on the back and look up at the others nervously. “So…?”

 

Pekoyama smiles warmly at you. “It’s nice to see you, Hinata.”

 

 _They_ nod and pat your shoulder, and you try not to flinch. “It really is. We didn’t have a clue what was going on when we all woke up.”

 

“So you woke up together, then…” You bite your lip and furrow your brow, chewing over this new piece of information.

 

“A-HEM.” Tanaka coughs into his hand and scoots closer, determinedly averting his eyes.

 

The relief that your friends seem to be fine finally seeps into you, and you grin almost giddily as you stand and help Ibuki to her feet. “Hey there, Tanaka.”

 

“A greeting from the tenacious one! How appropriate!” Tanaka laughs and holds his arm out to you. “I am feeling most generous today. Do not let this rare opportunity pass you by! If you do, you shall be branded a fool and banished from this realm!”

 

You roll your eyes but smile and take Tanaka’s hand. “…I’m very, um, grateful that you’ve allowed me to do this, then?”

 

“So you should be, mortal…” He steps back and crosses his arms, nodding to himself. “So you should be.”

 

You look at Pekoyama again. “So… I don’t really understand. You’re alright? Do you know why you’re here and what happened to you?”

 

“We managed to piece together just enough to know that our pasts are... Much more complicated than we thought.” Pekoyama grimaces. “I don’t remember much, but I remember enough to understand why we were restrained to our beds.”

 

“I see… Then, why did you escape? And, uh, how?”

 

Ibuki grins and boastfully holds her hand out to you. “This should answer your question!”

 

“Okay?” You take her hand and look at it carefully. “I... I don’t get it.”

 

“Here.” Ibuki flips her hand palm up and raises an eyebrow. “Now do you see? Do you get it, Hajime-chan?”

 

You squint at her fingernails and cautiously touch the one that seems to be shinier than the others. “Ow..!” You pull your hand away quickly. “That’s really sharp!”

 

“Gehaaaaaaaa! Ibuki’s fingernail was replaced with this metal, and it's super useful! Ibuki bets it’s even sharper than Souda’s singing voice!”

 

“I get it... So you cut your own restraints with that, and then freed the others.”

 

“We thought we were being imprisoned.” Pekoyama adds. “And you were missing, so we thought something terrible might have happened to you.”

 

Things are falling into place now. “But… You felt, ah, normal when you got up?”

 

“Not at all!” Ibuki’s eyes widen and she pouts at you. “Ibuki couldn’t stop crying as soon as she woke up!”

 

“And I was…” Pekoyama’s cheeks flush. “…Singing to myself. Apparently.”

 

“We all experienced strange symptoms right after we woke up.” _They_ explain.

 

“But you’re alright now?”

 

“Most of us, yes.”

 

“ _Most_ of you?”

 

Pekoyama gestures behind you, so you turn and let out a soft noise of surprise. Koizumi and Hanamura are sitting on the bed behind you, in a spot you couldn’t have seen from the vent. Hanamura has his head in his hands, so you can’t see his expression, but he’s slumped over and barely moving. Koizumi, on the other hand, is smiling widely and looking around the room slowly, as if in a daze. As you continue to watch, she raises her arms and makes a small “ _click_ ” noise, then giggles quietly to herself.

 

“I… I see.”

 

“But, anyway.” Pekoyama grabs your arm urgently. “There’s still a lot we don’t know. Where are the others? What happened to all of us?”

 

“Oh, s-sorry…” You turn to face them. “The others are perfectly fine, don’t worry. Here, I should actually call them and let them know where you guys are.”

 

She relaxes and lets go of you. “Of course.”

 

It takes five minutes for you to let everyone know, and exactly six minutes for the rest of your friends to start showing up. Sonia arrives first, and before she’s even fully inside the room she bursts into tears and launches herself at Tanaka, knocking the both of them to the floor. He sputters and blushes, but holds onto her tightly… and you swear you could see him get a little misty eyed. Nidai and Owari are the next to show up, and they make their way around the room enthusiastically; Nidai pats everyone on the back while Owari shows her affection by handing out snacks.

 

You should have known she was going to search for your friends at the restaurant.

 

“Koizumi-nee!!” Saionji is next to arrive, and rushes over to her as soon as she spots Koizumi. When she sees her present state though, she stops in front of her and stares. “…Koizumi-nee?”

 

Koizumi doesn’t seem to notice Saionji, or anyone else for that matter. She just keeps swaying and smiling blankly.

 

“…She’s still going through her fit of despair, I think…”

 

“I can see that.” Saionji snaps at you, but her voice is shakier than usual. “And it doesn’t matter, anyway. She’ll be totally fine.” Saionji sits next to her and pulls her into a tight hug, nuzzling into her shoulder. You figure it’s probably best to leave them alone for now.

 

“Oh, it’s you.” Souda stops in front of Tanaka as soon as he enters, and an awkward silence fills the room as the two of them stare at each other.

 

Sonia starts to say something but stops when Souda holds his hand out to Tanaka, who looks at him warily. “If you intend to –”

 

“I don’t.” Souda looks at him seriously. “It’s good to see you awake, Tanaka.”

 

Tanaka finally takes his hand, but for once is at a loss for words. Sonia is looking at Souda as if she’s never quite seen him before now. The whole scene is almost touching and you can’t help but smile to yourself while you watch.

 

“Excuse me.” Pekoyama leans over to you. “Where is the young ma – Kuzuryuu?”

 

“O-Oh… He was, um, bitten by a snake today, actually.”

 

 “…He was?”

 

“But he’s alright!” You hastily reassure her. “I’m pretty sure he’s just resting.”

 

“I see.” She hesitates.

 

“You can go see him, of course… Just, it may be best to wait until after we explain things to you, if that’s okay?”

 

She nods. “Yes… That’s logical. I’ll wait.”

 

A loud thud comes from the doorway and everyone goes silent as you look up to see Tsumiki standing frozen in the doorway, her bag next to her on the ground. She can’t seem to tear her eyes away from something… or, rather, some _one_.

 

“Tsumiki-san?” Sonia stands and looks at her worriedly. “Are you alright?”

 

Tsumiki doesn’t answer her. After a moment she opens her mouth and shakily whispers “…Junko-san…?”

 

The super high school level imposter shakes their head. “No, I’m…”

 

“N-Nevermind, I remember.” Tsumiki crouches down and scoops up her bag, holding it close to her chest as she avoids looking at anyone. “I-I just remembered I was going to go check on Kuzuryuu-san, so you can just carry on w-without me.”

 

“Tsumiki –” Sonia starts to say something, but Tsumiki turns and practically runs away.

 

“Oh, dear.” Sonia clasps her hands together.

 

You frown and move towards the doorway. “I’ll go after her. You guys can handle explaining everything to the others, right?”

 

“Yeah, we’ve got this.” Souda grimaces. “Good luck.”

 

Tsumiki isn’t in Kuzuryuu’s room, or in the hospital at all for that matter. You spend some time looking for her, and eventually find that her cottage door is open.

 

“Tsumiki…?” You cautiously open the door and peek inside.

 

You’re not sure what you expected, but it wasn’t Tsumiki just sitting on her bed, staring blankly down at her hands. She glances at you but doesn’t say anything, so you step into the room and close the door behind you.

 

There’s a moment of silence.

 

“Hey.” You finally say. “I’m not the best at giving advice or anything like that, but I can listen.”

 

“…Thank you, Hinata-san.” She continues to stare at her hands. “I’m just… Not sure what to say.”

 

You sit next to her on the bed. “Well... Why not just start with how you feel?”

 

“How I feel…?” She bites her lip. “I feel lots of things.”

 

You wait for her to continue.

 

“Hinata-san… Have you ever… Been in love?”

 

“Me? N-No, I haven’t.”

 

“That’s too bad… Love is truly amazing, Hinata-san.” She sighs. “Knowing the person you care for most in the world loves you back is the best feeling I’ve ever experienced in my entire life.”

 

“Hm.” You’re not sure what to say.

 

“I know that she manipulated me.” Tsumiki says quietly. “I know that she was… Toxic. I know that she was horrible in many ways. But… I truly, truly loved her. I would have done anything for her, anything at all. Even though she was despair, to me, she felt like hope. I could have spent my entire life following her and I wouldn’t have regretted a thing. So I did everything she asked… A-And made others suffer instead of healing them, like I’m supposed to.”

 

“I’m sorry.” You say sincerely.

 

“You don’t have to be.” She shakes her head. “Falling in love was so exciting, so new and beautiful… I-I didn’t notice that I was falling into despair, too.”

 

You gently place your hand on top of hers. “You couldn’t have known who she really was.” 

 

“I know.” She stays quiet for a while, then inhales shakily. “You know what the worst part is?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“She ruined my life. She hurt me in ways that I can’t even describe. And I’ll never, ever be rid of the scars she inflicted on me.” Her voice wavers and rises in pitch. “But even so… Even so, I… I still…” Her composure finally breaks and her face crumples as she sobs out, “I still l-love her. I-I still care about h-her and am m-mourning her loss and I still wish that I-I could go back to when we were t-together –”

 

“Tsumiki…” You wrap your arms around her and she immediately leans into you and hides her face on your shoulder, her tears seeping through your shirt.

 

She “I’m s– I’m so –”

 

“No, it’s okay.” You rub her back. “You don’t have to apologize.”

 

You continue to hold Tsumiki until she calms down some, and then you slowly pull away to look at her. “Did talking about it… make you feel better?”

 

She sniffs and wipes her eyes. “…I-I think so. A little bit.”

 

I’m glad. You stand and offer her a tissue. “And hey, I don’t think you’re a bad person for feeling this way.”

 

“Y-You don’t…?”

 

“Of course not.” You offer her a small smile. “You can’t help feeling like this, I’m sure. You didn’t _ask_ to fall in love with her. It just happened, right?”

 

“Mhm.”

 

“If you ever need something to take your mind off things, you know you can always come to me. We’ll do fun things.” You pause. “You’re not allowed to give me any shots, though.”

 

She giggles and finally smiles up at you. “Thank you so much, Hinata-san.”

 

“No problem.” You chuckle with her.

 

“I-I’ll be sure to take you up on your generous offer!”

 

“Good!” You pause. “...But Tsumiki? I really wasn’t kidding. No shots.”

 

* * *

 

Most of the island’s inhabitants spent their evenings with each other.

 

Hanamura, the exception, quietly retired to his cabin.

 

Ibuki invited the Super High School Level Imposter back to her cottage, and the two of them spent the evening dying their hair and trying on clothes. When they’d grown tired Ibuki admitted that she hated sleeping alone and asked them to stay in her cottage with her. It was the most fun sleepover the Imposter ever had.

 

Owari bowed in front of Nidai and apologized properly for everything that happened in the game. Nidai forgave her immediately, and the two of them trained as long as they could physically handle it.

 

Koizumi and Saionji took a trip to the beach. Koizumi was still wobbly on her feet, but Saionji let her lean on her shoulder until they sat under a palm tree to watch the ocean. Neither girl said a word as they held hands and watched the sun go down.

 

Tanaka accompanied Sonia to the Hotel Restaurant, where they happened to run into Souda. At first, Souda tried to leave, but Sonia insisted he join them. They spent a while talking to each other; Tanaka went over his plan to rebuild his kingdom, Sonia offered to help, and the two of them asked Souda to join them in creating a home for Tanaka’s future subjects. Souda whistled to himself as he walked back to his cottage that night.

 

Kuzuryuu stayed asleep in his hospital bed while Pekoyama sat next to his bedside and waited for him to wake up. When she took his hand he started to smile, and she couldn’t look away. There was nowhere in the world she would rather be.

 

In the same hospital, Nagito Komaeda, the last comatose patient, slept on. He was blissfully unaware of anything for the moment, but he would not stay that way for long.

 

Komaeda’s luck would soon wake him up.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there everyone!  
> Once again I want to say I am sorry that this chapter is so late! There's been a lot going on for me. Earlier this summer I wanted to give up on everything, and so I ended up staying in the hospital for a while. Things haven't gotten much better but I am now on medication at least and so I'm hoping things will go up from here.  
> Regarding dr3; it doesn't really fit in with the plot I have planned for Elevation. So I guess this is now a Chiaki-really-was-just-an-AI-and-other-stuff-is-different-AU. lol  
> I now have a ko-fi link! It's basically a place where you can leave tips for this fic/my writing. You don't have to, of course, but any amount would be really really appreciated! I do put a lot of time and effort into this story. Here's the link: http://ko-fi.com/A3877BC  
> As far as the chapter itself, I think the only thing I have to say is that the hinata/tsumiki is totally platonic!  
> My friend Eri drew Tsumiki the way I described her in this fic! Please check it out, it's super cool! http://mykawaiinaomi.tumblr.com/post/140254502739/my-amazing-friend-a-beautiful-and-twinkle-world  
> Please comment on this fic, doing so really helps to motivate me to do more. However, if commenting isn't your thing, you can always ask about/talk about elevation with me on twitter (@komahinafucker) or tumblr (mykawaiinaomi).  
> And finally, thanks so much for reading! I hope you've enjoyed elevation so far and I hope you continue to enjoy it in the future!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata finds out why everyone woke up all at once and becomes concerned, Kirigiri delivers some bad news, and Komaeda finally makes a long-overdue appearance.

 

The sunlight sears your eyelids as a breeze gently caresses you. You smell fresh grass, hear the rustling of trees around you before you even open your eyes. You feel as though you could drift away again at any moment, so soothing are your surroundings…

 

But a thought at the very back of your head nags you, presses you to fully wake up. So you do. You sit up slowly as you lift your hand to shield your eyes from the sun.

 

You’re sitting under a tree in the park, and you have no idea how you got there.

 

“What the…?” You mutter to yourself, slowly getting to your feet. “Why…?”

 

The last thing you remember is patting Tsumiki’s back. Other than that you have no clue what went on until now.

 

“Sleepwalking…?” You ask yourself. “That’s probably it…”

 

You decide that it isn’t a big deal (or, more accurately, you try to convince yourself that it isn’t a big deal) and set off for the hotel restaurant when you feel your stomach grumble. When you arrive you immediately spot Nidai, who’s enjoying a large meal in the corner of the room.

 

“OOOOOI! HINATAAA!” He waves you over with a wide grin. “You’re gonna wanna hear this!”

 

You take a seat next to him and lean back, eyeing him curiously. “What is it, Nidai?”

 

He take a big swig of his drink and sets it down with a satisfying clunk. “We talked about it yesterday and figured it out!”

 

“Figured what out?”

 

“Why everyone woke up more than once, of course!!”

 

Your curiosity piqued, you lean forward. “Really?”

 

“Uh-huh! We logged everything that happened in the past week an’ figured it out!”

 

“So then what was it??”

 

“It was... BECAUSE OF NIDAI NEKOMARU’S SPECIAL MASSAGES!!” He raises a fist in triumph.

 

You blink. “Woah, seriously?”

 

“It sure was!”

 

“Wow, that’s great, Nidai!” You pat his shoulder enthusiastically.

 

“Nah, that’s just what happens when you receive a massage from me! **You are revived**!”

 

You chuckle and place your hands on the table. _I’m really thankful to him, then… I was getting worried…_

 

You pause.

 

“Nidai?” You ask, trying to stay casual.

 

“Eh?”

 

“Did you give everyone a massage, then?”

 

“You bet!”

 

You strain to keep your voice even, averting your eyes. “Even Komaeda?”

 

“Sure did!” He keeps grinning, then what he’s just said seems to register and he looks at you with trepidation. “But that’s – that’s alright! They're just taking longer, so no worries! Haha…”

 

“Yeah…” You’re worried, though. If Nidai’s massages woke everyone else, why not Komaeda?

 

It couldn’t be… That it’s too late for them?

 

Nidai eyes your bouncing leg, wisely choosing not to say anything. You suddenly feel too nervous to sit still, so you rise to your feet. “Thanks for telling me, Nidai!”

 

“S-Sure thing! See you, Hinata!” You’re out the door before he finishes his sentence.

 

_To the hospital, then._

 

You don’t manage to get that far. On your way across the bridge to the main island, you spot Kirigiri heading your way. Although you raise your hand to wave at her, she keeps a straight face as she walks right up to you and grabs your wrist.

 

“You need to come with me.”

 

“Eh?” She turns and pulls you along after her. “H-Hold on, Kirigiri! What are you doing?!”

 

She lets go of your wrist but does not face you. “Follow me.”

 

Bewildered, you follow her into the Future Foundation’s headquarters and into a computer lab. She closes the door behind you, nonchalantly taking a seat and keeping her gaze on you. Even though she hasn’t said anything, you feel as though you’re being interrogated.

 

“Uh…”

 

“Someone’s tampered with Chiaki Nanami’s programming.”

 

“…Eh?”

 

“Chiaki Nanami. Her programming. Someone has interfered and tampered with it recently.”

 

Your stomach drops. “Is… Is she okay?”

 

“I do not know.” She crosses her legs, fixing you with a cool stare. “When I realized what had happened I immediately set out to find the perpetrator.”

 

“And did you find them??” You lean forward, anxiously gripping the sides of your chair.

 

She studies you for what seems like a long moment before shaking her head. “I do not yet know. I merely wanted to gauge your reaction.”

 

You weren’t expecting am answer like that. “Why?”

 

“I have my reasons. Regardless, I want you to keep in mind that there may be consequences to this.”

 

“I… I see.” You hesitantly pose the question. “Can I watch you go through everything with Nanami, to make sure she’s okay?”

 

“No.”

 

"But –"

 

“Hinata. I will gauge her personality for myself first to see how she was afflicted.”

 

“I… okay.” You concede, your head drooping.

 

“I also want you to tell me something that only Nanami would know.”

 

“Something only Nanami would know?” You think to yourself for a moment. “Well… Ask her where chocolate milk comes from. She should say brown cows.”

 

* * *

 

Kirigiri waited until the door closed behind him, then calmly picked up her phone and dialed. As she held it up to her ear her face betrayed none of her emotions, but the voice that answered on the other line was clearly frantic.

 

“Naegi-kun.” Pause. “No. He is not aware. I am positive.”

 

Pause. “No, I did not. I would prefer to keep that information to ourselves for now.”

 

Pause. “Yes. I will keep a close eye on the situation.”

 

Pause. “Yes. I’ll leave right away. Yes. I’ll be careful… You too.”

 

* * *

  

_Who could have done this? Who would have a reason to do this?_

 

Sighing, you trudge on, paying no attention whatsoever to the world around you.

 

_Is one of my friends… Still in despair?_

 

You feel a chill deep in your bones. _It can’t be true…_

 

Still, what other reason could there be for someone to tamper with Nanami’s programming? The thought that you all might lose her…

 

No. _No_. You can’t. You swore you’d get all of your friends back. _All_ of them.

 

“Kirigiri’s smart.” You reassure yourself. “And if she can’t fix it we have Souda.”

 

Everything’s going to work out. It has to. It _has_ to-

 

You unceremoniously trip on a rock and go sprawling out on the ground. “Ugh…” _This is what I get for worrying so much._

 

After you get to your feet and dust yourself off you finally notice your surroundings. You’ve made your way to the hospital, your original destination, without even trying.

 

“Ah…!” You suddenly remember the other pressing situation that had worried you earlier. “Komaeda…”

 

The lights in the third floor room are off when you enter, and his is the only bed left in the huge room. It makes the scene seem hollow, empty; as if there was no one left to remember this place existed. It fills you with a strong sense of foreboding, but there’s only so much you can do… So you pull a chair up to his bed and sit, staring down at the floor.

 

“Are you going to be okay?” You break the silence after a few minutes have gone by. “You’re the only one left, you know.”

 

Of course he doesn't answer.

 

“Don’t misunderstand me! It’s not like I’m hung up over you… I just want all of our classmates to be alright.”

 

His breathing is slow and calculated, his chest rising and falling rhythmically thanks to the machine next to you.

 

“…No, that’s not it.” You grow a little bolder when he shows no sign of awareness. “I’m sorry. I was lying.”

 

He stays stock still, so you manage to whisper, “I want to forgive you…”

 

No reaction.

 

“I was almost there, before… Before you visited the final dead room. And then you started acting so weirdly… But before that, I was seriously close.”

 

You pause for a while.

 

“I want… I want you to wake up so I can properly forgive you.”

 

You sit there for what feels like hours, fidgeting with your hands.

 

“I was drawn to you in the beginning.” You finally manage to admit. “You were a bit strange, but I liked you. When you smiled at me, even though I asked how you could smile at such a time, it comforted me. Komaeda… I really wanted to be your friend. I hope you wake up.” You can’t help sounding wistful. “Maybe then we can try again.”

 

Eventually you sigh and stand. “I’ll… be back later.”

 

You’ve just put your hand on the door when you hear a cough coming from behind you.

 

Quickly turning back, you find Komaeda in the same exact position you had left them in. As you continue to watch, however, you see him open his mouth and cough twice more.”

 

“Komaeda?” You urgently go to him and place a hand on his shoulder without thinking. “Oi. Can you hear me??”

 

He doesn't do anything for a while.

 

Then…

 

His eyelashes flutter open and he stares up at the ceiling, his gray eyes hazy and unfocused. You watch in breathless anticipation as he blinks once, twice… and then his eyes slowly meet yours.

 

“Komaeda…” You say, your knees almost giving out as relief washes over you. “You… You woke up…!”

 

His eyebrows knit together and his voice comes out in a harsh whisper. “Hinata-kun…?”

 

“Yeah, it’s me.” You offer him your hand, intending to help him up. “It’s alright, Komaeda. You’re going to be okay.”

 

Something changes in his eyes and he sits up so suddenly he startles you. “Wha- How am I–”

 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, relax!” You grab his shoulders, trying to look into his eyes. “Just calm d–”

 

“NO!” He shrieks suddenly, pushing you so hard you fall backwards onto your butt. “No, no, this isn’t happening–”

 

“Koma–”

 

“Don’t say anything!" He scrambles out of bed, warily looking down at you. His expression changes from bewilderment and fear to abject horror when your eyes meet once again. “Your eyes…”

 

“I – It’s nothing…" You cautiously get up and pleadingly hold your hands out to him. “Please, I’m not going to hurt y –”

 

“I’m alive?” He giggles breathlessly. “I lived? I survived?”

 

“You did…” You hesitate before stepping closer. “You – We all got –”

 

“Lucky!” He wheezes, clutching his chest as he starts to laugh. A chill runs down your spine at the sound. “I got – lucky!”

 

It’s the laugh you definitely did _not_ miss, the one you first heard at Teruteru’s trial. A desperate, hollow sound, one capable of shaking anyone to their core. A despairing laugh. “...K-Komaeda...” You say helplessly.

 

His fingers thread through his hair as he continues to laugh hysterically. “I lived… I got _lucky_ and _lived_ …”

 

It’s then you notice the tears running down his face and freeze right in your tracks. The sight you see before you startles you so much your mind goes completely blank as you stare at the person before you. You only snap out of it when he starts to sway dangerously, and you automatically dart out to catch him before he can hit the floor.

 

His eyes are once again closed, tear tracks still visible on his cheeks after you carefully lay him back on the bed. He looks more fragile than you’ve ever seen him, which may be why you’re compelled to comfort him. As you stroke his hair he sighs once, and your heart squeezes just a bit...

 

You decide to stay with him until he wakes up again.

 

* * *

 

 "This happened _two hours ago_?! Then why the fuck didn’t you sound the alarm _then_?”

 

You feel the heat rising in your cheeks. “H-He was pretty deeply asleep –”

 

“What did you do that entire time, watch him sleep?!”

 

Your blush gets worse. “N-No! I just – he's getting restless now so let’s just be here for him when he wakes up, okay??”

 

“Tch. Fine…” Kuzuryuu stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you changing the subject, though.”

 

“Haha…” You laugh weakly, turning away. “I know I can’t sneak anything past you, Kuzuryuu…”

 

“Damn right.” He hits you on the back so hard he knocks the wind out of you.

 

As you cough and sputter, Sonia hesitantly places her hand on top of Komaeda’s. “Komaeda-san, are you awake? We would very much like to speak with you… Komaeda-san?”

 

He opens his eyes for the second time today, his facial expression going blank as he looks up at your friend. “…Sonia.”

 

“That’s right.” She smiles at him. “Do you… Do you know where you are?”

 

He winces slightly as he sits up. “Yes, in the hospital on Jabberwock. Alive.”

 

“That’s right! We’re all here to explain to you what happened to you. Would you like to listen now, or do you need some time to yourself?”

 

“Oh no, by all means.” His eyes narrow. “I’d _love_ to hear this… so-called _explanation_ for myself.”

 

* * *

  

You’re nervous because this entire time he hasn’t reacted.

 

As your friends take turns explaining everything his face is completely blank, and he stares down at the floor without moving. The only exception was when Sonia explained about your connection with Izuru, when his gaze briefly met yours before he went back to blankly staring at the ground.

 

Now the explanation is finished and Komaeda has yet to move or speak. The rest of you are exchanging worried looks, too cautious to speak up.

 

Most of you, anyway – Saionji finally huffs and crosses her arms. “Well?! Do you get it or not?”

 

“Saionji!” Koizumi hisses, but stops when Komaeda raises his head.

 

“Is everything you say true?” He inquires.

 

“Yes… I’m afraid it is.” Sonia bites her lip.

 

“That’s so… So…”

 

 _Here it comes._ You brace yourself.

 

“…Amazing!”

 

“What?!” You blurt out.

 

Komaeda’s expression has become ecstatic. “This is the most wonderful thing I ever could have imagined! The symbols of hope, having sunk to the very depths of despair, have come together to cling to their hope and overthrow the strongest chains of despair! I never saw this coming, I should have believed more in your hope! I thought you were unworthy, past the point of no return, but I should have known better! Your despair has served as the greatest stepping stone, and now you will rise to purify the world with the strongest of hopes!” He finally pauses to breathe, giggling to himself as he continues. “Ah… This, this must be what I’d hoped for for so long! The strongest hope… I almost don’t even mind that I’ve survived now, since I’ll be able to see this for myself! I wonder, does the strongest hope include those who did not survive in the simulation, or is it only those who made it to the end? It seems as though it may mean everyone, myself excluded of course. Has the hope of the ‘true survivors’ infected the others, then? Perhaps the program assisted with that? No, if this is from the true hope, it must be from their actions alone…”

 

Up until now everyone had been staring slack-jawed at Komaeda, but Kuzuryuu finally snaps out of it and clicks his tongue. “Oi, Komaeda, I preferred when you couldn’t fucking talk. Now I’ll have to get used to that babbling of yours again.”

 

“Oh, pardon me, Kuzuryuu-kun! I won’t talk in your presence anymo-”

 

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

 

Komaeda blinks and tilts his head. “Eh?”

 

“I never said I minded getting used to it again, you shithead. Talk when you wanna talk, goddammit!”

 

“Kuzuryuu-san… Sonia looks as though she may cry from happiness.

 

 _Kuzuryuu just accepted him_ , you realize. _Holy shit._

 

“Oi, what are you giving me that look for?! Stop blubbering!”

 

“Well, I’m tired!” Saionji snaps, and leans over to firmly pinch Komaeda’s arm, eliciting a small squeak from his mouth. “If you do weird things again, there’ll be more where that came from, Komaeda-onii!” She turns to her friend next. “Hey, hey, Koizumi-onee. I want to take a bath with you!”

 

“Alright, I’m coming…” Koizumi follows her, then turns back to the group when she reaches the door. “Komaeda, your hair is very... _visually stimulating._ Let me take a picture of you sometime.” She leaves without waiting for an answer.

 

Apparently, Kuzuryuu was the _first_ to accept him, not the _only_ one to. “Nagito-chan! Don’t worry about your hand, you can still play in Ibuki’s band, okay? You can be the lead singer!” She bounces over and ruffles his hair before leaving with the SHSL Imposter.

 

Sonia giggles and wipes her eyes before taking Tanaka’s hand; she ignores his flustered squeak (the highest noise you’ve ever heard him make) and waves to Komaeda on their way out. “Let’s have tea sometime!”

 

“Oi! Me too!” Owari jumps to her feet. “If you make your own food Nidai and I don’t care if you eat with us! Just don’t take any of mine!” Nidai’s booming laugh lingers in the room even after they leave.

 

 _They’re all accepting him in their own ways_. You watch in amazement, then glance over at Komaeda. He's obviously confused, and looks as though he doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.

 

“Hinata.” Pekoyama gets your attention.

 

“Hm?” You look at her questioningly.

 

“Why don’t you escort Komaeda back to his cabin?”

 

“Eh? Why me?”

 

“Who else would??” Kuzuryuu snaps impatiently. “You’re the one who visited him so often!”

 

You feel your face heating up as Pekoyama gives you a slightly sly, knowing look. “We’ll take our leave now.”

 

You notice she takes his hand as they leave… and the back of Kuzuryuu’s ears turn bright red.

 

The rest of your friends leave without saying anything, which was alright. You didn’t expect all of them to accept him all at once. Quite frankly, you weren’t expecting any of them to accept him at all. At least, not so soon. Souda and Tsumiki leave with troubled looks on their faces, but Teruteru keeps a blank expression. You make a mental note to check up on him later.

 

And then there were two.

 

You offer Komaeda your hand. “I’ll, um, get you to your cabin so you can rest, then.”

 

He eyes your hand for a moment, then takes it to pull himself up, although he averts your eyes and doesn't say a word when he lets go.

 

“Um… Can you walk alright?”

 

He nods curtly.

 

“Alright then… follow me?”

 

He's silent when you walk through the hospital, silent when you exit the building, silent when you make it to the bridge. And you can’t help worrying about his silence; about the reason for it.

 

“So… Um, did you hear what I said? Before you woke up?”

 

“Hm?” He looks genuinely confused. “No.”

 

“Oh.” You nod slowly to yourself. “I see.”

 

The two of you remain silent until you make it to their door. He opens it and walks in, but pauses when you clear your throat.

 

“So… I’ll see you tomorrow?” You ask hesitantly.

 

He turns to you and studies you for a long moment, and you can’t bring yourself to look away. “Goodnight, Hinata-kun.” He finally says, and closes the door behind him.

 

You stare at the wood in front of you and bite your lip, an uncomfortable sensation in your stomach making you feel unsettled.

 

_…What was that?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> Thank you for all of your "get better" wishes. They all mean a lot to me, seriously. I can't thank you enough.  
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you want to tip me on it here's my ko-fi link! http://ko-fi.com/A3877BC  
> Once again, please comment on this fic! Doing so really helps to motivate me to do more. However, if commenting isn't your thing, you can always ask about/talk about elevation with me on twitter (@komahinafucker) or tumblr (mykawaiinaomi). Also, if you draw any art of Elevation, please, PLEASE let me know! If you haven't yet seen it, my friend Eri drew some really cool art of Tsumiki that you should check out! http://mykawaiinaomi.tumblr.com/post/140254502739/my-amazing-friend-a-beautiful-and-twinkle-world If you draw art of Elevation and let me know I'll definitely include it in my notes at the end!  
> Finally... thanks so much for reading, guys!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've changed Komaeda's pronouns to they/them. Also, please read the notes at the end.

 

“…What is this?”

 

Sonia smiles at you, purposefully not commenting on how disgruntled you sounded to have been woken up so early. “It’s today’s schedule, Hinata!”

 

“Schedule…?” You frown down at the paper she’s given you. “Why do we need a schedule?”

 

“That’s because!” She dramatically clutches her heart. “We have so much to celebrate! So we’ll be having a Heart! Thumping! Field Triiiiip!” She actually poses and does jazz hands while saying this. You aren’t eloquent enough to do anything but stare at her. “So! Hinata-san! We’ll be meeting at the Hotel Restaurant in an hour! Make sure you are ready, no matter what!!”

 

You sigh and decide to humor her. “Alright. I’ll be there.”

 

“Great! I need to go hand out everyone’s schedules, so I’ll see you soon!” She skips away and waves, grinning at you over her shoulder. “Remember! One hour!”

 

You close your door and go through Sonia’s schedule.

 

**~HEART THUMPING FIELD TRIP~**

9:00AM – 11:00AM: CHANDLER BEACH

11:00AM – 1:00PM: PICNIC @ JABBERWOCK PARK

1:00PM – 2:30PM: CINEMA

2:30PM – 5:00PM NEZUMI PARK

5:30PM – 6:30PM: DINNER @ MIRAI RESTAURANT

6:30PM – 8:30PM: RELAXATION IN MIRAI LOBBY

 

“That’s a lot…” You grumble to yourself. Still, with Sonia, you’d been expecting it.

 

_Guess there’s no chance of falling asleep anymore…_

 

* * *

 

About two seconds after you arrive someone comes barreling over. All you see is a blur of black and red before you’re tackled, you and your attacker hitting the ground with a loud _thud_.

 

“Hajime-chaaaaaaaaaan!”

 

“Gah…!” You cough and groan. “Ibuki… You elbowed me in the stomach…”

 

“Oops, sorry, Hajime-chan! Ibuki was just excited.” She giggles and shoots to her feet, offering you her hand to pull you up. “Ibuki wanted to show you her new look! Check it out!”

 

“Oh... you look good, Ibuki.” And she does. Her black hair is streaked with color once again, now a fiery red and shimmering silver. Her new outfit suits her, too; short black overalls over a red shirt accessorized with ripped red tights, a black choker, and black combat boots. Despite the dark circles under her eyes, she’s stunning. She seems more mature too, in more than one way.

 

She cheers and makes a peace sign. “So cool! Giving compliments in that sturdy protagonist voice! Is this the beginning of Hajime-chan’s harem game?!”

 

Well, she _looks_ more mature, anyway. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

“Awww, c’mon, Hajime-chan!” Ibuki pouts before turning to the others. “Girls! Wouldn’t Hajime-chan be soooooooo cool as the main protag of a dating sim?” Koizumi and Owari, who are closest, turn to study you.

 

“Oi. Stop staring.”

 

Koizumi walks to you and physically adjusts your collar, then nods. “He’d better start being more reliable, but yes. He’s good.”

 

“ _Oi_ …”

 

Owari shrugs. “Eh, he’s not very strong, but he’ll do.”

 

“Just what question are you answering exactly?!”

 

Ibuki giggles and claps her hands together. “I knew it! Mahiru-chan, Akane-chan, you’d be popular in a game like that too!”

 

“Ah… Y-You think so?” Koizumi scratches her cheek and laughs lightly. “I’m not sure about that…”

 

“Of course!” Ibuki pinches her cheek. “You’re so cute!” Her hair, now slightly longer than what you remember, is wavy and really suits her. And her outfit, so similar to the one from the simulation (practically the same thing, really, except that the green jumper was now a skirt), is sweet and clean. Ibuki wiggles her eyebrows. “Plus, you tsundere types sure can get popular!”

 

“Ibuki, I’m not –”

 

“And!” Ibuki throws her arms around Owari. “No one with eyes would be able to resist our Akane-chan! Especially in that white tank top and those adorable little red shorts! Gyahaaaaaaa! Ibuki could just eat you up!”

 

“Eh? Would I taste good?” Owari ponders her question for a moment, then lifts her arm and licks her own wrist. “…Nah.”

 

“Anyway!” Ibuki looks around for more accomplices and you groan. “Peko-chan!” She tugs the swordswoman over. “How about it? Would you pick Hajime-chan in a dating sim?”

 

She replies without even considering it. “No.”

 

_Ouch_. You wince.

 

“Ooooh, so blunt! That’s cool too, you know! You’d be so popular, Peko-chan!”

 

“I have no interest in such things.”

 

“But, but –” Ibuki pouts. Despite being so harshly rejected, you can’t help agreeing with Ibuki. Pekoyama’s dark green sundress makes her skin shine, and her braided bun is elegant and cute. You’re sure many people your age would fall head over heels.

 

“Excuse me.” Pekoyama abruptly turns on her heel and walks away.

 

“Awwwwh…” Ibuki sighs. “That one only has eyes for him, huh?”

 

“Hm?” You watch her take a seat close to Kuzuryuu. “Oh… Maybe, yeah.”

 

“Anyway! This is fun, so Ibuki wants to keep going!”

 

“Ibuki, no –”

 

“Keep going with what?” Souda’s just appeared behind you at the top of the stairs.

 

“Oooh! Good timing! You wanna know, right?? You want Ibuki to tell you, right?!”

 

“I’m going to sit down…” You mumble to no one in particular. Koizumi pats your shoulder sympathetically as you pass her.

 

“Eh?! Ibuki, that’s kind of… I don’t know…”

 

“Awh, come on!” Ibuki stamps her foot. “There’s only like, _one_ of you that’s straight!” Kuzuryuu chokes on his drink and Pekoyama pounds on his back. “Come on you guys, you have to answer this too!” Ibuki addresses all of the guys now. “Hajime as the protag of a dating sim! It would fit so well, don’t you think?”

 

Tanaka crosses his arms. “Spirited one, this is not a question my comrades are able to answer.”

 

“Of course it is! How about you, Nagito-chan?”

 

You choke on nothing. “I-Ibuki, don’t ask them tha–”

 

“Hush, you.” She covers your mouth and smiles at Komaeda sweetly.  “How about it? Isn’t he your type?”

 

Komaeda seems intent on staring down at their shoes, their expression blank. “…I don’t know.”

 

“But, Nagito-chaaaaaaaaan…”

 

“Who is whose type now?” Sonia has just entered the room, looking a bit confused.

 

_Please don’t ask._

 

It’s too late. Ibuki pumps a fist in the air and answers in a booming voice. “If there were a dating sim of the 77th class, Nagito-chan would go for Hajime-chan’s route! Dangan Island, coming soon! Featuring the snarky protagonist with a face to die for! Hinata Hajime-san! Heart!”

 

You bury your head in your hands. “Please, someone, stop her…”

 

“Sorry, Hinata.” Souda pats your shoulder. “There’s nothing any of us can do now.”

 

“A dating sim for the 77th class!” Sonia’s eyes sparkle. “That would be… what’s the phrase… so fucking rad! But… why Dangan Island?”

 

Ibuki shrugs.

 

“But anyway, Hajime is simply perfect for this!”

 

“Right?!”

 

“Will Tanaka-san be an option as well?” The boy in question slowly covers his face with his scarf.

 

“Let’s ALL be options!”

 

“U-Um, excuse me…” Tsumiki raises her hand timidly. “Please leave me out… No one will want to play my route, s-so it’ll be embarrassing…”

 

“What?! Mikan-chan! You’re Ibuki’s number one, though!”

 

“Ah? Huh??” Tsumiki squeaks. “I… Th-Thank you…?”

 

“Why are you saying thank you?” Ibuki waves her off, turning pink for some reason. “It’s just what Ibuki would want to do! Anyway, it’s time for us to party, right? Sonia-chan! Take it away!”

 

“Alright!” Sonia claps her hands together. “So, have you all reviewed the itinerary?” Your friends mumble affirmations in weary voices. “Good! Now let me go through it just to be sure! We will be going to the beach first; does everyone have their swimsuits?”

 

“I can just wear my underwear, right?” Owari waves a hand dismissively. “It's practically the same thing.”

 

Sonia sighs. “I thought you would say that, Akane... So I brought one for you.”

 

“Hah? I can't just wear my underwear?”

 

“It's a matching swimsuit with mine!”

 

“Oh. Then I guess it's fine.”

 

Sonia giggles “Okay! Good! Everyone else? Good? Good! After the beach will be having a picnic at the park! I'll leave early with Koizumi and Tsumiki to prepare the food.”

 

“I-I'll do my best!”

 

“Leave it to me!”

 

“And then! The main event… Our trip to Nezumi Park! Woohoo!” She punches the air as your friends exchanged amused looks.  “I'll hand out your ride buddy assignments now!”

 

“Whoa, whoa, hold up.” Kuzuryuu raises an eyebrow. “Ride buddies?”

 

“Mhm! We have to make sure everyone has someone to ride with! You're with Pekoyama, of course.”

 

“Oh… Then I guess it's okay…” He mutters.

 

She gives him a knowing smile before clearing her throat. “Alright! Next, Tanaka-san will be with me, of course!”

 

Tanaka tugs at his scarf. “That's… That's acceptable…”

 

She giggles. “Other than that, Mahiru will be with Hiyoko, Nidai-kun will be with Akane-chan, I will be with Tanaka, and Hinata will be with Komaeda.”

 

“Ah…” You glance at Komaeda quickly to see their reaction, but they keep a blank face. You're not sure that this makes you feel any better.

 

“Uh, Sonia-san? Aren't you forgetting someone?” Souda laughs weakly.

 

She frowns apologetically. “No, I'm sorry, Souda, but your partner is refusing to join us…”

 

“Eh?”

 

You look around. Sure enough, Teruteru is nowhere to be seen. “That guy… Is he okay?”

 

“I’m not sure." Sonia bites her lip. "But in any case, Souda will be joining Tanaka and I.”

 

“Eh? Eh?? But, Sonia-san-”

 

“So there you have it!” She ignores Souda’s protests. “Let's get moving over to Chandler! Girls, we will be changing first, so the rest of you can wait about 30 minutes, okay?”

 

“Uh...” The imposter raises their hand. “What about me, and others like me? Who aren't a girl or a guy…”

 

“Oh! My apologies! How rude of me… You can go whenever you feel most comfortable!”

 

“Yeah! If you want to come with us, that's totally okay!” Ibuki smiles at them.

 

“Oh… okay. I'll go now, then.” They smile shyly as the girls begin to grab their things and leave.

 

The meeting seems to be over, so you turn to the person sitting close to you – Souda – and say, “Sonia’s pretty cool for putting this all together.”

 

“Yeah…” He rubs the back of his head. “Not sure I like that I'll be a third wheel, though.”

 

“But… You've given up, right?”

 

“Well, yeah.” He sighs. “Can't change my feelings that quickly, though.”

 

“…” You pat his shoulder.

 

“Hah, thanks, Hinata. But anyway…” He leans closer. "You're going to be with Komaeda, huh?”

 

“Oh... Yeah.” You’re trying not to look at him. “They’re being kind of weird…”

 

“What else is new?”

 

You give him a _look_. “No, I mean… They’re kind of ignoring me, and I don't know why.”

 

“Really?” Souda hums and squints at Komaeda, who is sitting by himself in a corner. “Didn’t know the word ‘ignore’ was in that guy’s dictionary.”

 

You roll your eyes, then sigh. “I just wish I knew what they were thinking.”

 

“Just ask them, dude.”

 

“I can’t.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“…Too nerve-wracking. Besides, do you really think they’d answer me honestly?”

 

“Good point.” He stands and stretches. “Well, good luck, man. If you need help, uh…” He pauses. “…You should talk to Sonia-san. I’m not good with these kind of things.”

 

You nod.

 

“Hey, you weren’t supposed to agree with me…”

 

You’re interrupted when Nidai yells for everyone to get ready to go. Souda waves at you before leaving to get his stuff, and you slowly approach Komaeda before you lose your nerve. “Hey, Komaeda…” _Think_. _Say something._ “So… we’re ride buddies.” _Great. Real eloquent._

 

“It seems so.” They look at you as if expecting you to say something more.

 

You’re way too unprepared for this. “Um…” _Wait_. You blink. “Did you cut your hair? It looks shorter.”

 

“Ah, yes, Ibuki did it, actually. I was surprised that she was willing to do so…”

 

“O-Oh… It looks nice.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

An awkward pause follows. They seem to be studying you silently, which makes you even more nervous.

 

“And… Is that the new outfit Asahina picked out for you?”

 

“Oh, yes, it is.” They’re wearing high-waisted shorts with a green short-sleeved hoodie. _It suits them._

 

“How do you like it?”

 

“It’s nice.”

 

“Yeah, it looks good on you.” _Shit_. “I-I mean-“

 

“Thank you.” They interrupt you, and you swear you can see the ghost of a smile on their lips, but it’s gone in an instant. “Anyway, we’re the only ones left… shall we get going?”

 

“Oh! Yeah, let’s.”

 

So begins your ‘heart thumping field trip’.

 

* * *

 

The day goes surprisingly well, despite all of the chaos.

 

When you visit the beach, Owari gets her foot tangled in seaweed and becomes convince that a ghost had grabbed her. You’ve never heard her scream in fear; it stops everyone in their tracks. Everyone except for Nidai, that is, who has her up in his arms and out of the water so quickly if you’d blinked you would have missed it. Although Owari is embarrassed when she realizes what’s happened, she’s quick to recover as a game of beach volleyball gets going. You notice that Komaeda spends most of this time sitting by themselves on a towel, holding their legs close to their chest. You can’t quite bring yourself to join them.

 

During the picnic, though, they seem to perk up a bit. Sonia invites them to sit with her and draws them into the conversation. They seem to be amused by your classmates; they laugh the hardest when Ibuki offers Kuzuryuu some milk and has the glass knocked out of her hands by Pekoyama (who only gives the excuse that “the young master is allergic”). It was nice to see them enjoying themselves finally.

 

So the day goes on. The only other really memorable part of the day happened after riding the roller coaster; Tsumiki tripped on the stairs and was caught by Ibuki. As your friends cheer for her they hardly seem to notice, instead gazing into each other’s eyes. When they became self-aware, they sprung apart, their cheeks noticeably red…

 

All in all, it was a day to remember. You’re now all gathered in front of the hotel, on your way to have dinner. Sonia turns to the group and bows. “You all go on ahead! I’ll meet you later!”

 

“Oh… Okay. See you!” Koizumi waves at her as she walks away.

 

“Well, shall we?” Pekoyama gestures to the stairs.

 

“Yeah!” Your friends start up the stairs, laughing and chatting with each other. You’re about to ask Nidai something when –

 

“What the FUCK?!”

 

Kuzuryuu stops at the top of the steps and Souda runs right into him. “Oi! What’s the – oh _shit_.”

 

“What? What’s wrong?”

 

“What’s going on??”

 

Your friends push and shove their way into the restaurant in a flurry of chaotic movements. Soon enough you’re all clustered inside the entrance, gaping at the scene laid out before you.

 

It’s absolute chaos. Food is strewn across the floor, splattered onto the walls, and dotted all over the ceiling. Pots and pans and broken dishes are scattered everywhere.

 

“What… happened here?” You gingerly step forward.

 

“I have no idea…” Souda winces. “Who was supposed to make the food?”

 

“Maybe it was, gee, I don’t know, the _chef_? Stupid shark weenie.”

 

“Wh-Why am I a shark?! Wait, don’t call me a weenie! Saionji –”

 

“Be quiet, you two!” Koizumi shuts them up immediately. “Did he do this?”

 

“…Teruteru? Are… Are you here?”

 

No one answers you, so you turn to Nidai. “Help me look?”

 

“Mm! Stay here, everyone!” The two of you fan out, and it doesn’t take you long to find him crouching behind a counter and staring ahead blankly. He looks horrible… Food all over his clothes, bags under his eyes, his hair ratty and tangled. You’ve never seen him look so… empty.

 

“Teruteru… You okay…?”

 

He doesn’t answer you. Nidai walks to your side and grimaces when he catches sight of him. “I think you should talk to him, Hinata. The rest of us will work on cleaning this up, okay?”

 

“O-Okay.” Nidai pats your shoulder before he leaves, making your knees buckle. Slowly, you crouch down next to the chef and take a deep breath. “Hey… Teruteru. What’s up with you?”

 

“Nothing.” His voice is completely flat. Lifeless. _Like hell it’s nothing._

 

“Oi… Come on, man. I’m not stupid.”

 

You get nothing.

 

“Teruteru… listen. I know we weren’t really close, but I can probably understand what you’re going through. I mean, if it has something to do with Super High School Level Despair, we’re the _only_ ones who can understand what it is you’re going through. It’s probably not a bad idea to talk about –”

 

“It’s my mother.”

 

“O-Oh.” You swallow, hard. “You… Do you remember what happened to her?”

 

“She’s gone.”

 

“…I’m so sorry.”

 

“It’s my fault,”

 

You’re not sure what to say. You wish you could tell him that it’s not, but it very well could be… You finally settle for saying “Even if it had been your fault, she still loved you... I’m sure she would have forgiven you.”

 

He slowly shakes his head. “Forgiven me? No… I’m a monster. She said… She said I was not her son.”

 

“Teruteru…”

 

He’s silent for a moment, and then asks “Were you close with your parents?”

 

“Me? No, I wasn’t… Sorry.”

 

“I was closer to my mom than I was with anyone else.” He pauses, his voice beginning to tremble. “I’m so… so angry that I couldn’t spend more time with her, or save her, or… Stay away from despair. If she could see me now, she wouldn’t just be disappointed… Sh-She’d _hate_ me.” The tears are flowing freely down his face now, and your heart goes out to him.

 

“No… I didn’t know your mother, but I’m sure that’s not true. To me, it sounds like… Instead of disowning you, she was recognizing that you weren’t yourself. I think… If she were here, she’d be really proud of you.”

 

He sniffles. “ _Proud_ of me…?”

 

“You’re overcoming despair.” You tentatively put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re going to work towards your own future and make up for what you did. So she’s super proud of you, and supporting you from wherever she is. Okay?”

 

“Hinata-kun…” He looks down and wipes his eyes. “…Thank you.”

 

“Mhm.” You pat his shoulder, then help him up. “Why don’t you try making some food? That’ll help you feel better… right?”

 

“Yeah. I’ll… I’ll make something mother would be proud of.” You watch him walk away. He’s still grieving, but you think what you said has helped him. At least, you hope so, anyway.

 

You turn to help with the cleaning only to see Komaeda standing next to the counter, looking at you contemplatively. “K-Komaeda!” You clutch your chest. “You scared me…”

 

“…My apologies.” They stare at you a moment longer… and then give you a genuine – small, but genuine – smile. Your knees go weak with relief. “That was… Hm. It was impressive.”

 

“Eh? O-Oh… Not really, I just…” You make a vague hand gesture and trail off.

 

They open their mouth to reply but are interrupted by Koizumi, who bounds over and – to your surprise – takes hold of Komaeda’s arm. “Komaeda! Didn’t I call it? Didn’t I say you’d make a great househusband?”

 

“What?!” You blurt out.

 

“Their apron, Hinata! Just look at it!”

 

“Oh… Well, I thought it would be appropriate for me to wear this while cleaning, aha…” They sheepishly rub the back of their neck.

 

“Well, Saionji and I have something to make it even better.” She moves behind them and fiddles with their hair as you look on in amusement.

 

“Koizumi, you didn’t even ask –”

 

“It’s fine.” Komaeda smiles. “I’m merely honored that Koizumi-san has chosen to do the hair of someone li–”

 

Koizumi whacks their head, and they flinch as she scolds them. “Don’t say things like that anymore! It’s impolite!”

 

“Ah, but–”

 

“Plus it’s not true.” She clears her throat. “Anyway, I’m done!” She’s pulled their hair into a ponytail and added a bandana. _Cute._

_…_

_Wait, what?_

 

“See? Househusband!” Koizumi looks at them happily, then straightens up and coughs. “Alright, you two! Get to working like the rest of us!”

 

“Sure! I don’t mind, of course!” Komaeda turns away, and you shake your head to clear it. _Get a grip, Hajime._

 

“Okay, sorry for making you wai– What happened here?!” Sonia stands in the threshold, holding something behind her back.

 

You hurry over to her. “We’re cleaning it up, don’t worry!”

 

“Cleaning?” Her eyes light up before she coughs and shakes her head. “Well, before that, can you take a break? I have a surprise for someone.”

 

“…What is it, Sonia?” You lean in, your curiosity piqued.

 

She holds a finger up to her lips and winks at you. “Do you mind grabbing Tanaka for me?”

 

“Of course.” You think you might know what’s going on here. “Oi! Tanaka!”

 

“What is it that you desire?” He saunters over, dramatically throwing his scarf over his shoulder.

 

“It’s not me, it’s Sonia.”

 

“Oh…?”

 

“Tanaka.” She gives him a stunning smile. “I tried my best with them while you were away, but they belong with the one who will one day rule the world, so… here.” She holds a cage out to him.

 

“Is that…?” I was right.

 

“The descendants of the Four Dark Devas?!” He gasps and immediately opens the cage, letting them run onto him. “It can’t be…!”

 

Without warning, the empty cage is on the ground and his arms are wrapped tightly around her. Your friends, ever vigilant of drama, give a collective “Ooooooh!” as Sonia’s face heats up.

 

“Thank you…” Tanaka’s face is buried in her shoulder, but you can see that the tips of his ears are red. “Thank you, Sonia.”

 

“T-Tanaka…” She can’t contain her smile. “Don’t mention it!”

 

They don’t let go until Saionji starts gagging in the background. Sonia clears her throat and, beaming at everyone, says “Well! Shall we get to cleaning, then?”

 

* * *

 

 

The group cleans, eats, and relaxes in the lobby before heading back to their cabins. Komaeda hurries to theirs and closes the door firmly, then begins to pace around the interior of the room, biting on a nail.

 

They don’t know what to do.

 

For the first time in their life, Nagito Komaeda is at a loss.

 

And it’s all because of Hajime Hinata.

 

They sigh and run their fingers through their hair. It would be one thing if everyonehad escaped the despair of the simulation. But it is another thing entirely that Hinata survived, and a whole other thing that he turned out to be Izuru Kamukura, the Super High School Level Hope.

 

The Super High School Level Hope who turned out to be Super High School Level Despair.

 

Right. That’s another thing entirely.

 

Their first instinct had been to want nothing to do with Hinata. They had quickly realized, however, that if Hinata was still Super High School Level Despair, they wouldn’t be alive right now.

 

No, he’s not Super High School Level Despair, so they can’t hate him.

 

Then Komaeda thought, should they revere him? He was the Super High School Level Hope, after all, and he had managed to bring about the greatest despair… Which meant that he would soon bring about the greatest hope.

 

Howver… Revering him didn’t seem quite right, either.

 

Is it because…? Hinata did not gain his talents naturally. He wasn’t born with them. They were artificial. The result of a few surgeries and the loss of his memories. Which… he now had back.

 

So then, he cannot be the Super High School Level Hope. Right?

 

And then… there’s what the others told him about the final battle against Enoshima Junko.

 

How Hinata had been the one to overcome despair and inspire, shining with a bright radiance that set the others ablaze…

 

When they think about that, they can’t help but get excited. They can feel their heartbeat pick up its pace now, and press their hand to their chest as they try to calm themselves.

 

There is one troublesome part of this, however. If they acknowledge that that Hinata was indeed hope, then that meant… He was hope despite being untalented.

 

Could an untalented person… turn out to be… someone like that?

 

Komaeda struggles with this idea, shivering slightly. If that was true… It meant…

 

No, it’s best not to think of these things now. Komaeda straightens up and nods to themselves. They’ve decided they have to get to the bottom of this.

 

“Just what kind of person are you, Hinata Hajime …?”

 

* * *

 

Souda was staring out at the sea, hands in his short pockets when he hears footsteps behind him. Turning slightly, he waves at the figure approaching and grins. “Oi, Hinata!”

 

He doesn’t answer him. Frowning, Souda turns to face him and raises his voice. “Hinata! What’s up?”

 

Souda’s about to punch his arm as he gets closer, but sees the look on his face and suddenly freezes. Hinata doesn’t look like himself… his gaze is icy, and it feels as though he’s looking right through Souda.

 

He ends up walking right through Souda, too; knocking him aside with his shoulder. Souda gulps and places a hand on his shoulder. “Um… H-Hinata…? Dude…? You’re seriously acting weird right now.”

 

Hinata stops. There’s a beat of silence before he turns his head to look back at Souda, with a look that the latter can’t quite read. “…Forget about it.” And with that, he shakes Souda’s hand off his shoulder and walks away.

 

Souda stands stock still in the sand, looking after the other with fear burning in his heart.

 

“Souda.”

 

Souda yelps and whirls around, clutching his chest. “O-Oh… It’s just you…”

 

Kirigiri steps closer and looks into his eyes. “Yes. And I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone! ^^  
> couple things! so first of all i've made a twitter account specifically for this story! So it'll post updates, ask questions, take comments, give sneak peaks, and things like that! Please check it out! @elevation_ao3  
> next, i made a masterpost for everyone's appearances in elevation, which you can check out here! http://thekomahinafucker.tumblr.com/post/151817083784/elevation-character-appearances  
> also i changed my tumblr url so im now at thekomahinafucker.tumblr.com! you can contact me there about this story, or on the elevation twitter mentioned above, or on my main twitter! @komahinafucker  
> oh, and... keep an eye out on tumblr for something special that is soon to come. it may have even directed you here...  
> lastly, thanks so much for reading of course! it means so so much to me! please leave a comment as it will help motivate me to write more, and have a great week! ^^


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Future Foundation arrives at the island and Owari seems to be pondering something serious. When Hinata (or someone like him) does some work in the computer lab, the shocking truth is revealed. And out of all people, the one who overhears just so happens to be highly unlucky in doing so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REMINDER THAT DR3 IS NOT CANON IN ELEVATION. NEITHER ZETSUBOU-HEN NOR MIRAI-HEN IS. NOR KIBOU-HEN, FOR THAT MATTER.

 

Naegi Makoto steps onto the boardwalk and heaves a small sigh, then smiles over his shoulder at his companions. “It’s good to be back, right?”

 

Byakuya Togami does not seem to share in his excitement, if the look of disdain he directs towards the island is any indication. “No. I dislike the ocean, it is too hot here, and I did not enjoy being dragged away from my other projects to check on these... imbeciles.”

 

“Don’t be such a stick in the mud.” Asahina rolls her eyes as she steps down next to Naegi. “Personally, I’m fired up to be working under Naegi here!”

 

“It’ll be the five of us again, Tomagi-chi!” Hagakure moves to sling an arm across Togami’s shoulder, but does not anticipate Togami dodging him and ends up falling face first onto the boardwalk. “Owww..”

 

“Hey, I see Kirigiri!” Naegi waves and starts to run down the boardwalk. “Hiiiiiiiiiii!”

 

Asahina clicks her tongue as she helps Hagakure to his feet. “Who just yells ‘hi’? For heaven's sake...”

 

Naegi skids to a stop in front of his friend and gives her a huge smile. “We’re here!”

 

“I noticed.” She smiles, but is quick to get serious. “I’ve just finished speaking with Souda.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yes. Naegi-kun, you got here just in time.”

 

* * *

 

The girl sitting in the corner of the restaurant is currently the subject of many strange looks and concerned whispers. This is because, despite her large appetite and the _extremely_ large platter of food in front of her, she has yet to take a single bite.

 

Owari has more important things to focus on than food.

 

 _This isn’t really like me._ She frowns and stares down at her hands. _But I’ve stalled too long already. I have to decide!_

 

Owari had realized finally what was missing right now, what hadn’t been taken care of. The one thing she would always take seriously... at least, that’s how it had been before coming to Kibougamine. Now, there were too many things to take seriously, and she felt weighed down by all of them. It was becoming almost too much…

 

 _No. Stop._ She pinches her wrist. _Don’t start this again._ She had learned through Hinata that being “strong” and “weak” were more complicated than she thought, but she still _hated_ the thought of displaying her own weakness. She couldn’t be the smart one, or the gentle one… But she could be the strong one, the resourceful one, the risky one.  That’s what she’d told herself before, anyway…

 

But regardless of whether she's truly strong or actually weak, there's something she has to do.

 

Owari makes her way over to her closest friend and grabs her hand. “Hey, Sonia… let’s talk somewhere, okay?”

 

Alright... what's going on?” Sonia follows Owari out of the room. “Akane? What's wrong?”

 

“Sonia.” Owari firmly looks into her eyes. “I have to leave the island.”

 

* * *

 

A dark room with a greenish tint, silent but for the sound of your meticulous typing. This is where you find yourself, in the process of carrying out such unfamiliar actions. For quite some time you continue on like this, focusing intently on the task at hand instead of acknowledging the eyes that are on you. If they want to spy on you over their painfully conspicuous cameras, so be it. It is of no concern of yours.

 

When you’ve done all you can, you start the program and wait for it to load. Soon enough a scene of a beach fills the screen, and the figure you were expecting appears underneath the nearest palm tree. You know you have to be wary now. You always are when it comes to this one.

 

“Hello.” You speak into the microphone, knowing that she can see you through the computer’s camera.

 

She blinks, then smiles… the picture of innocence. “Oh… I’m so glad to see you again…! It’s been so long…”

 

“If you are who you seem to be, the two of us have never met.”

 

“Huh? But…” She tilts her head, her smile falling. “Ah. Izuru-kun, then?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Awwh…” She pouts and suddenly stamps her foot. “No fair! No fair, no fair, no fair! I wanted to play this role a little longer...!”

 

“Too bad you won’t be able to anymore… Junko.”

 

The figure of Chiaki Nanami plops onto the sand. “Ah… I knew if you interfered, you’d realize… I’m always so despairfully right in predicting these things…”

 

You don’t even bat an eye. “When’d you make the switch?”

 

“Just before my execution~!” She singsongs. “It was so beautiful, senpai! That stupid rabit completely destroyed her dear Chiaki, thinking it was me the whole time! Hey, Kamukura-senpai, don’t you think she would’ve drowned in despair if she knew…?”

 

“How should I know.” You say flatly. “I didn’t know her.”

 

“Right, right, the side effect of my little switcheroo! You’re still alive, and so is Hinata-kun! Since I was too busy switching the two of us and faking my own death on my phone, you’re a-okay out there!" Her demeanor changes abruptly, as if someone had flipped a switch. "Oh… wait… you’re still alive… you can still inflict despair out there… and I’m trapped in here… ahhhh… how despairful… I couldn’t experience more despair than I ever would have by simply dying in here… now I’m wasting away in here, knowing all my plans were foiled and watching people regain their hope… which is why I had to take Nanami’s place… to throw myself deeper into despair…”

 

You don’t care. “Do you have to keep looking like that?”

 

“Like this? You mean, like _her_?” She clutches her chest and squeals. Annoyingly. “Kamukura-senpaaaaaaaii! You miss my gorgeous self, don’t’cha? Of course you do! Awwwwh!”

 

“I didn’t –”

 

“Careful!” She bats her eyelashes. “You wouldn’t want to break a girl’s heart, would you?”

 

The look you give her must really be something, because she actually backs off. “Fine, fine.” With a snap of her fingers, she’s back to her original appearance, although she’s still wearing that other girl’s clothes. _Oh, well. This is good enough._

 

“So, Chiaki Nanami truly is gone.”

 

“Her AI is! Mhm!” Her voice is her own now, too. “The AI that your classmates spent so much time with in here is beyond anyone’s help! Even I wouldn’t be able to save her if I wanted to!”

 

“I see.”

 

“Izuru."

 

"What."

 

"You were trying to fix her, weren’t you.” It wasn’t a question.

 

You give the camera a cool stare. “It’s none of your concern.”

 

“Of course it’s my concern, Kamukura-senpai.” Her smile doesn’t quite match her eyes. “You’re my greatest creation, after all.”

 

“I’m not your creation.”

 

“Please!” She laughs and stands, beginning to dust herself off. “Without me, you would be nothing, Kamukura-senpai. Sure, I’m not the one who cut you open and messed around with those brains of yours, but your actions and ideals… your despair, were all given to you by me. Ahahahaha! There’s no fuckin’ way I haven’t influenced you, whether you like it or not! You’ll always be a remnant of despair, you fucking _dumbass_!”

 

You pause. “There’s no reason I can’t do something different with myself.”

 

“You acted so cool in the beginning, senpai. Watching everything with a blank face.” Her grin widens. “But I saw the despair take hold of you! Upu! Upupupu! You’re in too deep! It’s not like there’s anything else for you anyway, despair is all you have! Poor senpai, learn the lesson Hinata couldn’t… you can never be anything more than what you are.”

 

You’ve had enough.

 

You uncross your legs. “That may be so… But the one who decides who I am? That’s me.” And with that, you terminate the program and head for the door.

 

You’ll have to find another way to get what you want.

 

* * *

 

“Wow… Nothing less from the Super High School Level Mechanic!” Komaeda beams at Souda, stars in his eyes. “It works perfectly… and it looks so real!”

 

“I-Is that so?” Souda rubs the back of his neck. Well, it’s no big deal… Th-There just happened to be good parts for it lyin’ around…”

 

“Of course!” Komaeda nods, deciding to humor him. “I appreciate it anyway, Souda-kun!”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Souda looks pleased, though. Komaeda figures he probably doesn’t receive much praise. Just like himself.

 

“How did you get it to look so… realistic, by the way?”

 

“Well, I talked to Tsumiki about it, and she helped me. I’m just impressed she actually got it to match the shade of your skin.”

 

Komaeda looks down at his arm and hums. “From far away, I don’t think people will be able to tell where my arm ends and the prosthetic begins!”

 

“Cool!” He grins and starts to gather his things. “We’re done, then.”

 

“Oh, of course, I’ll get out of your way!” He's out the door and down the hallway before Souda can so much as blink.

 

He has to make sure the remnants of hope cannot be impacted by a lowly creature such as himself, after all! _Remnants of hope... That's not a bad title for them._ He hums as he makes his way to the Future Foundation’s headquarters’ exit _. How lucky I must be to receive this from Souda-kun and Tsumiki-san… What’s next for me, I wonder…?_

 

Then he pauses. He can hear something… rather strange. So he turns and backtracks to the last door they passed on the right. _Voices… Familiar voices… But how…?_

 

“Huh? But… Ah, Kamukura-senpai, then?”

_That was Nanami’s voice! And what was that about Izuru?_ Komaeda moves closer, straining to hear.

 

As the conversation progresses, however, their confusion, surprise, and curiosity quickly turns into abject horror. His legs begin to shake of their own accord, and his breathing picks up its pace. He can barely hear what’s being said now, with all the blood pounding in his ears.

 

Then he hears  _her_ voice, and his knees hit the floor.

 

 _Ah_. They realize. _I’m panicking. Have to… get away, but… no, I have to know…”_

 

He stays paralyzed on the ground until the door opens and smacks them in the face, hard. “Gah…!” He clutches his nose as blood slowly seeps down their chin, looking up at the figure now looming before them. “H…Hinata-kun?” As soon as the name leaves his lips, however, he knows it’s wrong.

 

Izuru raises an eyebrow, then steps around Komaeda and begins to walk away. “Something like that.”

 

Komaeda stares at his back until he vanishes from sight.

 

* * *

 

“It was a ruse.” Togami refuses to budge. “There’s no way we can trust what we saw, given who they are and what they’ve done in the past.”

 

“But, Togami-kun, I’m telling you.” Naegi sighs in exasperation. “That didn’t feel like a set-up at all! Sure, we should be careful, but I think we can leave him be! At least, for now.”

 

“I agree with Naegi-chan!” Asahina slings an arm over his shoulder. “Let’s see what he gets up to! It’ll probably be something, um… unexpectedly positive! Right?”

 

“I’m fine with it! A-As long as I’m not the one watching him…” Hagakure gulps.

 

“What do you think, Kirigiri-san?” Naegi tilts his head.

 

She seems to carefully considers her answer before she answers. “I think _you’re_ the boss, Naegi. And I trust your instincts. So I’ll keep an eye on him for now.”

 

“That’s great!” Naegi puts a hand over his heart. “I’m so relieved after hearing that conversation...”

 

“You shouldn’t be.” Togami’s disgruntled... as always.

 

“Eh?” Hagakure squints at him.

 

“Don’t you know what has to be done now?”

 

“What has to be done??” Asahina is just as confused as Hagakure.

 

“You mean we have to tell them.” Kirigiri says quietly.

 

“Tell them?” Naegi looks between Kirigiri and Togami. “Tell them what?”

 

“They deserve to know that Chiaki Nanami is dead.”

 

Asahina looks down at the floor, and Naegi’s whole demeanor seems gloomier all of a sudden. “Oh…”

 

“That’s going to be so harsh, dude…” Hagakure shakes his head. “Is it okay for them to know that?”

 

“They deserve the truth, Hagakure-kun.” Naegi bites his lip. “It’s just… I hate having to deliver news like this.”

 

“People die. It happens.” Togami pauses. “AI’s do too.”

 

Kirigiri steps forward. “They may yet be able to reunite with their friend.”

 

“Eh? EH??”

 

"What do you mean, Kyouko-chan?" Asahina frowns.

 

“Chiaki Nanami’s AI is dead, yes.” She searches the eyes of her companions. “But Chiaki Nanami herself… is not.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone!  
> your comments have kept me going, so i hope you'll continue to leave them and enjoy this fic! as always, if you have any questions you can talk to me on my tumblr (thekomahinafucker), main twitter @komahinafucker, or the twitter i made for elevation @elevation_ao3. those who follow the elevation twitter got to choose one of the different points of view in this chapter (Owari)!! so there'll be some cool stuff on there!  
> i hope you all have wonderful weeks, and as always, thanks so much for reading!!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The survivors pay homage to Nanami. Owari and Sonia talk some things out, Hinata offers a suggestion for the group's future, and something's up with Komaeda.

 

There are some days where the group can enjoy themselves, can put aside some of their problems and worries to experience joy and love.

 

There are some days where they can focus on their potential future and make peace with the plights of today.

 

There are some days like that, yes.

 

But today is not one of those days.

 

Fourteen former students, five Future Foundation members, and two doctors have gathered in Jabberwock Park and wait solemnly, all eyes on the lone fifteenth former student standing behind the podium in front of them. They watch as he slowly unfolds a crinkled piece of paper. Not one of them makes a sound.

 

He clears his throat.

 

“All of us have united here to say goodbye to a dear friend.” Hajime Hinata begins his speech with his eyes downcast and his shaking hands by his sides.

 

“This is probably the most surreal thing that I’ve ever experienced. I was devastated when she was killed after her trial, but then I was given hope. Hope that she may not be gone forever, that there was still some way I could speak to her again… To live on with her by my side, in a sense. We were all hopeful that we could save her.” He bites his lip and pauses, suddenly unsure if he will be able to do this. Everyone can hear Sonia openly sobbing now, and at least three of the others have started sniffling.

 

Hinata feels his throat begin to close up, but pushes on. “It’s… Overwhelmingly hard to accept that she’s gone for good. I wanted to see her smile one last time. I wanted to tell her I was so, so thankful for what she did for me. I wanted – ” his voice cracks – “I wanted to see her again.”

 

He doesn’t look at Souda, who’s wiping his eyes furiously, or Ibuki, who’s covered her face with her hands. He doesn’t look at Kuzuryuu’s clenched fists. He doesn’t look at Saionji’s obnoxiously colored handkerchief, Tanaka’s scarf-covered head, or Pekoyama’s trembling lips. He can’t. He knows he would lose it if he did.

 

“We are all truly devastated by this loss. Nanami is… w-was one of the best friends we’ve ever had. She was childish, and stubborn, and extremely strange at times,” he tries to smile. “But she was kind… and quirky… and incredibly smart, and gifted, and I could go on forever about how incredible she was. I know I’m… I know I’m not alone in feeling as though I’ve lost a part of myself. Still… I’m going to appreciate that we have today… that we are allowed to grieve for our friend.”

 

He takes a shaky breath before continuing. “Nanami isn’t gone completely, though. She will always have a place… in our memories… a-and in our hearts… And I know…” His throat closes up. “I know we can share what we have of her. I know that we can tell stories about her… and look back on the time we spent together, a-and try to do right by her…” He closes his eyes, his face crumpling for a moment as hot tears start on a slow path down his cheeks. “And by doing that, w-we won’t ever truly lose h-her.”

 

A sob is heard before he breathes out a broken “Thank you”.

 

The ceremony ends.

 

* * *

 

 

“FUCK this!”

 

A week after Nanami’s funeral, Akane Owari punches a nearby palm tree and screams at the sky. “I’m NOT dealing with this shit again, Sonia! I can’t!”

 

Currently, she’s at the beach with Sonia, trying to figure out to do about Naegi’s declaration that she would _not_ be leaving the island anytime soon. And now after several shot-down ideas and two rants, she’s _finally_ had it.

 

“Wait!” Sonia grabs her wrist as Owari moves to storm off. “Akane, listen! You heard what Naegi said, there is nothing we can do – ”

 

“Bull _shit_!” She seethes. “I don’t know what’s going on out there, but for all I know, they could be in danger _right now_ , and I’m the only one who can save them!”

 

“Akane…” Sonia begs. “Please don’t do this. What if you get hurt, or – or worse? Please…”

 

“I have to.” Owari wrenches her arm out of Sonia’s grip and turns toward the open sea. “So don’t try to stop me.” She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, preparing to run.

 

“I’m sorry, but that is a promise I do not intend to keep!” Sonia quickly hugs Owari from behind before wrapping her legs around her as well and clinging for dear life.

 

“Wha – Sonia! Get off!”

 

“No!”

 

Pent-up frustration wells up in Owari. “You just don’t get it!”

 

“What? What do I not get?!”

 

“They’re my family, Soina!” Owari finally yells, angrily wiping her eyes. “I’m the one who’s supposed to take care of them – and I can’t even remember if they’re alive or dead!”

 

“A-Akane…” Sonia steps down to the sand.

 

“If they’re hurt or killed it’ll be all my fault!” Her hands clench into fists. “If I lose them… I won’t… I can’t…” She shudders. “I won’t have a family anymore…!”

 

“Owari Akane-san.” Sonia stands in front of her friend and looks her straight in the eyes. “How can you even think that??”

 

“E-Eh?”

 

“Owari, your siblings are so important, and I know that.” She puts her hands on Owari’s shoulders. “But don’t you forget that _we_ are your family, too! And I swear to you, we will find the rest of your family. If they’re out there, we _will_ find them.”

 

She sniffs. “You swear…?”

 

“On the name of my country, Novoselic, I swear.” The two girls hug each other as tightly as possible.

 

“Thank you…”

 

“Of course. There is no need to thank me.”

 

“I just wish I remembered, you know?” She sighs. “I wish I remembered what happened to them. Whoever can remember must be so lucky… not having to deal with so much frustration and… _fear_.” She spit the last word out as though it were dirty.

 

“I don’t know about that…”

 

Owari frowns. “…Sonia?”

 

She gives her a faint smile. “I seem to remember sacrificing my parents in the name of despair. So honestly… I think those of us who have forgotten what happened to those we hold dear are the lucky ones.”

 

* * *

 

 

“You haven’t seen Komaeda, have you?”

 

You anxiously await your friends’ answers, but the looks on their faces are not encouraging. Kuzuryuu raises an eyebrow. “No… why?”

 

“Well, it’s just – ” You hesitate. These two are extremely perceptive; would they find you strange for realizing? No, of course not. They must have realized it as well. “No one’s seen him for a week, not since the- you know.”

 

Pekoyama and Kuzuryuu exchange a quick glance, but shake their heads. “I apologize, Hinata. I had not even realized he was missing.”

 

Of course.

 

“Shit.” You sigh. Well, you’re the last ones I’ve talked to, so apparently no one knows where they are.”

 

“Then the three of us must search for them.” Pekoyama gets to her feet and helps Kuzuryuu up.

 

“Wait, you guys are gonna help me look for them??”

 

“Course we are, you dumbass!” Kuzuryuu slaps your back, hard. “Can’t let that little bastard go missing on us, who knows what they’d get into?”

 

“I-I see…”

 

“They’re almost like a particularly independent housecat.” Pekoyama quips.

 

Kuzuryuu snickers. “The look on your face… Hinata, you’re too easy.”

 

“Wha – ” Your face heats up. “I was just annoyed, okay!”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Kuzuryuu waves his hand. “Whatever you say.”

 

The three of you leave the hotel lobby and spend some time looking for Komaeda. You feel as though you’ve gotten to know them both better, but unfortunately… all your efforts remain fruitless.

 

“Every single goddamned island,” Kuzuryuu groans, collapsing into a chair at the restaurant later that night. “Every single one, and no Komaeda.”

 

“I-I mean…” You bite your lip. “We didn’t check the places without buldings… or the residences near Electric Town?”

 

“You want us to check there too?!” Kuzuryuu groans. “That’s going to take way too long.”

 

“Well?” You raise an eyebrow. “Where else could he be?”

 

“Beats me.” Your friend shrugs.

 

“Perhaps we should try – ” Pekoyama’s interrupted before she can get her thought out by the sound of clinking glass. At a table near the windows Sonia is tapping her glass with a spoon and looking around expectantly. The room goes quiet.

 

“Hello, everyone!” Sonia sets the cutlery gently, giving the room a soothing smile. “I knew most of you would be at dinner, so I thought now would be the best way to talk to everyone.”

 

“What’s up, Sonia?” Souda looks a bit worried, and honestly, you can’t blame him.

 

“Well,” she pauses. “As you know, we’re not allowed to leave the island yet.”

 

_Where is this going?_

 

“However! We want the day we will be permitted to leave to come as soon as possible.” Sonia clears her throat. “This is because I will be accompanying Owari in searching for her family as soon as we possibly can partake in this endeavor.”

 

“Ehhh? You’re leaving?” Tsumiki gapes at the two of them.

 

“Yes, and we’re announcing that now so that you all can get used to that idea. But that’s not all! I think it’s time we all talked about what we want to do now.”

 

“What we want to do now?” Saionji makes a face. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“It means that we’ve spent so long focusing on saving our friends that we haven’t found anything that we can do the help make the future a better place! Isn’t that right, Hinata?”

 

“Me?!” You take an involuntary step back. “Uhh… I-I guess so?”

 

“So!” Sonia points upward. “Who has suggestions?”

 

Silence.

 

“Oooookay, well, does anyone have any ideas at all? Come on, no idea is stupid!”

 

Teruteru raises his hand. “I’d like to visit my mother’s grave.”

 

“Ah.” Sonia lowers her hand. “That’s um, well… That’s a good goal! But maybe we should focus on what we can do on these islands for now? Since we can’t leave…”

 

“I can train you all!” Nidai yells from the back.

 

Saionji instantly puts her hand up. “I pass on that!”

 

“Everyone, come on now! I’m sure we can think of something!” Sonia pointedly ignores Saionji.

 

_What we can do on these islands…_

 

“We could… turn it into a safe haven?”

 

Everyone eyes turn to you.

 

“What?”

 

“Hinata!” Sonia bounces up and down excitedly. “That is a most spectacular idea indeed!”

 

“Really?”

 

“With us working together, employing all our talents, these islands won’t just be a safe haven… this will be one of the most extraordinary kingdoms the world has ever seen!”

 

“Uhh, back up. _Kingdom_?” Kuzuryuu raises an eyebrow.

 

“Um… City!”

 

“Are we really making our home into a city??” Saionji sniffs. “That’s disgusting.”

 

“Don’t be that way, Saionji! I’ll build ya a big stage, so you’ll be able to perform in front of huge crowds like you used to. Kay?”

 

“I…” She tries to keep from looking happy. “Fine. If you have to.”

 

“Oh! Souda-pop! Souda-pop! Can Ibuki perform on the stage too?! Can Ibuki help build the stage?! Oh please!!”

 

“I mean – okay?”

 

“YES!” Ibuki pumps her fist in the air.

 

“Hinata, you’ve really outdone yourself.” Sonia clasps her hands together and smiles at you warmly. “What better way could there be to repent for all the things we’ve done! So many people will gain a safe place to live out their lives!”

 

“Um… y-yeah, right…” _Dammit_. You never should have said anything… you’re not sure about having other people on the island. Sonia must have sensed this, as she quickly pats your shoulder.

 

“Don’t worry, Hinata. We shall make sure that everything is carefully planned out… No one will be joining us for quite some time, I promise.”

 

“..Thanks, Sonia.”

 

“Anytime.”

 

You can only hope she’s right.

 

“Sonia, we do have a problem I need to tell you about, though.”

 

“Hm?” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

 

“Oh, _that_.” Kuzuryuu scoffs.

 

“What? What is it?”

 

“It’s… Well, it's the disappearance of Nagito Komaeda.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> �fun place to end it, right? ^^  
> hey guys! so how'd you like that first scene? i actually cried while writing it... probably because i cry super easily and was imagining the scene lol but still. oh, about that scene - i decided it wouldn't be second person so that it had more of an ethereal feel.  
> as always, let me know what you thought by leaving a comment or contacting me on twitter @komahinafucker /@elevation_ao3 or tumblr thekomahinafucker.tumblr.com ! i hope you enjoyed reading this and have a great week!!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Komaeda must be located, and fast. Who better than Hinata to do the job?  
> After they get to know each other a little better, two "new" characters are introduced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reminder that dr3 is not canon in this story

 

“Of course I can pick the lock, who do you think I am??” Souda scoffs as he kneels in front of the doorway, holding his tools up to the keyhole. “It’s all about the tumblers, you know…”

 

“Thank you for doing this, Souda.” Sonia frowns as she leans on you. “When Hinata told me about Komaeda-san, I knew we could not just wait around for them to come back…!”

 

“I’m really glad you see it that way, Sonia.” You can’t help but sigh. “I figured I’d need help at this stage of the game…”

 

“Of course!” She nods, her eyes wide. “No one has seen Komaeda-san since the funeral, correct?”

 

Kuzuryuu shakes his head. “Yeah… Peko and I searched all over the islands with Hinata for any sign of them, but there was just nothing. So we thought, maybe there was a clue inside their room…”

 

“It was the young master’s idea.” Pekoyama volunteers this information with an unmistakably proud look on her face. “I was surprised no one had thought of it sooner.”

 

“Well, you know how I get when I’m panicking…” You grimace.

 

Kuzuryuu hits your arm lightly. “Oi, it’s not your fault, Hinata. We all understand how you must be feeling right now.”

 

“Thanks…”

 

“Ah! Here we go.” Souda stands and opens the door to Komaeda’s cabin wide. “…After you all!”

 

The five of you step carefully into the room, one after the other. The room is cluttered and the air is stale, which seems unnatural, considering that it _is_ Komaeda’s room.  “Is it just me, or is it… really messy in here? I would have thought that Komaeda would keep things neat…”

 

“Me too,” Pekoyama agrees. “Look at the desk as well… Is that old food?”

 

Souda reaches the desk and leans down, sniffing at the food. “Actually, it doesn’t seem old at all… I’m pretty sure it’s still good.”

 

“But he went missing a week ago!” Sonia wrings her hands together. “Surely food a week old would have gone bad by now.”

 

“Then it’s not a week old.” Souda nods as if he’s figured the whole thing out.

 

Kuzuryuu frowns. “Are you saying that he was in this cabin during the last week, even though he's not here now?”

 

He shrugs. “Maybe? How should I know, though?”

 

“Guys.” You whisper hoarsely. “…Look.”

 

Your friends turn to where you’ve crouched down on the floor, towards the bathroom. You point to a spot on the carpet with a shaking hand.

 

“Blood.” You say hollowly. “That’s dried blood.”

 

They immediately gather around you to examine the spot for themselves. “Shit…. You’re right.” Kuzuryuu grabs your shoulder firmly. “It’s okay though, Hinata; it’s just a little bit, right?”

 

“Maybe…” You stand and slowly reach for the bathroom door.

 

You’re not sure what you were expecting, but the bathroom looks normal. Then you peer into the shower area, and…

 

“Th-There’s more!” You call out.

 

Sonia pushes past Souda into the bathroom, and peers down at the stain. “Yes… But there is really not _that_ much blood at all.”

 

“Still, what does this mean? What _happened_ to him??” You survey the rest of the bathroom quickly, your frustration heightening. “I don’t understand…”

 

“We should get Tsumiki, Hinata. Just in case…”

 

You nod slowly. “Yeah… Yeah, someone get Tsumiki. And let’s split up… I want to find him as soon as possible.”

 

* * *

 

 

You and your friends split up, but no one finds any trace of Komaeda, and the others head back to their own cabins towards the end of the day.  Dejected, but unwilling to throw in the towel just yet, you end up wandering through the islands absentmindedly.

 

It’s in this way that you happen to run into _her_.

 

“Oh… Hello, Kirigiri.” You nod at her as you pass her, intending to keep going, but she says something that stops you in your tracks.

 

“You’re searching for Komaeda.” It wasn’t a question.

 

You’re quick to turn around. “Yeah, I– do you know where he is??”

 

She merely nods at the Future Foundation building before continuing down her path.

 

You don’t have time to wonder how she knew, and honestly, you don’t care. All your anticipation bubbles up as you approach the tall building in the middle of the park and pull the metal door open.

 

The building is much too quiet, but you were expecting that. Still, you find yourself on edge as you peruse the halls. Almost all the rooms on the first floor have their lights turned off, and you’re about to head up a floor when you hear someone murmuring.

 

Your eyebrows furrowed, you worriedly search for the sound, and locate the source: there’s a computer lab with its lights out, but there’s definitely someone talking in there. What’s more; you only hear one voice, and you think you know whose it is…

 

The door opens soundlessly, and you hear Komaeda say “Just as I-” before he notices the light flooding the room.

 

He's crouched in the corner with his arms wrapped around his legs, nails digging into their pale skin. He squints at you, and his eyes widen as you step inside.

 

“Um… Komaeda? Are you–”

 

“You!” He gasps, falling backwards onto their butt. There’s an almost wild fear scrawled across his face, an animalistic terror that chills you. “Is it… wait, are you _them_?”

 

“‘Them?’” You repeat, stopping in your tracks.

 

“Which one are you? I do wish I had a way to tell…” The fear hasn’t quite left his face yet, but now that he's concentrating on talking, he seems more in control. “Of course, if the eyes changed, that would be one thing, but they’re always the same. Still, even red is better than blue…” You notice his hands tightening on his legs.

 

“Komaeda…” You’re at a loss. “I don’t know what you’re saying, really, but it’s just me, Hinata. I just wanted to–”

 

“Just Hinata? Hah!” His eyes dart from your face to the floor. “No, the other one’s in there, there’s no denying that. You’re slow, Hinata-kun, for not noticing. Of course, I’m slow too!” He laughs hollowly.

 

Something isn’t right here… His words and actions seem… disconnected, somehow, as if he was witnessing another reality, separate from your own. What’s more... he seems uncharacteristically upset, but you have no idea what you should do about any of that.

 

“Well, okay…” You say cautiously. “Anyway, is your nose okay? You have a little… a little blood, there.”

 

It was one of the first things you’d noticed when you saw him. His nose, now slightly swollen, had dried blood just underneath it. His hands, as well, were tinged red. It was troubling that the blood seemed dry; not only because this meant he’d been hurt for a while, but because he hadn’t tried to do anything about the state they were in. He didn’t even wash their face or hands… what happened to him, exactly?

 

He raises a hand to his face, as if he’d only just now noticed their situation. “Ah, this… I believe it’s broken, actually.”

 

“What?! Then why are you here?” You take a few steps forward. “You should go see Tsumiki right awa-”

 

“Stay back!” That wild fear from before is back. It’s almost painful to see it displayed so clearly on his face. “You can’t… y-you can’t come near me!”

 

“O-Okay, I’m sorry…” You struggle for a few seconds, and then slowly sit on the floor facing them. “I’ll stay here… okay? So let’s just… talk.”

 

He bites their lip, but don’t protest, so you figure you’re on the right track. “Komaeda, can I ask how long you’ve been here?”

 

“I…” He shakes his head. “I don’t know. Time just passes, I haven’t been paying attention.”

 

“I see…” He's answering your questions, so you take that as a good sign. “Do you want to, um… Do you want to tell me what happened?”

 

“Nothing’s happened, nothing at all.” He smiles at you angelically. “You have no reason to worry about someone like me, none.”

 

“But I _am_ worried.” You frown. “If there’s anything-”

 

“You can’t!” Suddenly he's on his feet, looking at you with such intensity you feel your heart skip a beat. “You can’t do that!”

 

“C-Can’t..?”

 

“You can’t worry about me! You can’t… You can’t!” He sounds like a broken record, but his passion never wavers. “You can’t do this...!”

 

“Can’t do what??” You get to your feet. “And why can’t I-”

 

“Because, it doesn’t make sense! _You don’t make sense!_ ” He yells, his voice finally breaking. “ _You – YOU DON’T MAKE ANY SENSE!_ ”

 

You feel wrong in doing this, but for some reason you get the feeling that if you don’t push him now, you’ll never know. So, you take a step closer and reply, “Why don’t I make sense?”

 

“YOU DON’T!” Komaeda clutches his head, his eyes wide and frenzied. “N-Nothing… Nothing makes sense anymore… Please, I don’t understand, I don’t want to think about it anymore, everything’s so wrong, everyone’s _wrong_ –”

 

“How-”

 

In an instant, Komaeda lurches forward and seizes the collar of your shirt, pulling the fabric up slightly as they pull you closer. His eyes seem to bore into your very soul, and for a second you think he's going to hurt you, but instead, they–

 

Slowly, his eyes fill with tears, and when he tries to speak, his voice is choked. “If this is how things turned out, then… what was the life I lived before now?”

 

“Komaeda…?” It would be a lie to say you’re not a bit scared, but more than anything, you can see that he's suffering, and… you want to help.

 

“You… You, more than anyone, just don’t make sense!” He shakes his head, a few tears escaping his eyes and marking a trail down their flushed cheeks. “I thought you were like me, I thought we were the same. But then you turned out to be him, and I hated you for that, but then… but then…! You became true hope, didn’t you? Didn’t you?? How is that possible?! You, yourself, became true hope, and inspired hope in the others, the Super High-School Levels, the Despairs, as Hajime Hinata. How was that possible…? How did you… That’s impossible. That’s _impossible_ …” His grip weakens. “You… You shouldn’t be able… t-to…”

 

You somehow manage to catch him before he can collapse onto the ground.

 

Panting slightly, you pause in the aftermath of their rant. It was convoluted, and messy, but for some reason…

 

You feel like you can understand Komaeda a bit more.

 

* * *

  

“Can you hear me…?” The words leaving your lips have a nostalgic twinge to them, although you can’t remember why. “Hey, are you okay…?”

 

His eyes, which had been fluttering, slowly focus on your face, and you let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness… You kinda scared me, you know.”

 

Slowly, Komaeda sits up and looks around, registering the change in atmosphere. “I’m back in my room… And you’re here…”

 

You nod. “I’m sorry for moving you, but um, you kind of collapsed, and I was worried… Tsumiki says you were dehydrated, and she fixed your nose, but she says it might be slightly crooked from now on since it was left untreated for a while… And, um…” You’re babbling, but you can’t help it. “I-I… I hope you feel better.”

 

He blinks, and recognizes what you’re talking about. “Ah, I said… to you…”

 

You both pause.

 

“Well, there’s no need to remember that.” Komaeda says, avoiding your eyes.

 

“Komaeda…” you say exasperatedly. “Let me help you. Please.”

 

“I don’t see how you could–”

 

“I understand, now.”

 

They look up at you with trepidation. “You… what?”

 

“I had a long time to think about it, you know? Even before talking to you tonight, even before you woke up from your coma. I had a lot of time to think about you and try to see things from your perspective.

 

He scoffs. “That doesn’t mean you understand-”

 

“Then tell me if I don’t understand.” You interrupt them.

 

He doesn’t seem to know what to say in reply to this, so you use this to your advantage and continue talking. “Listen, you once told me that hope is ‘ultimate good’. Right? And you explained your luck cycle after that. You told me how all the terrible things that happen to you are followed by amazing, wonderful things. You told me that you’d been experiencing that kind of cycle throughout your whole life. Remember?”

 

“I… yes.”

 

“Then I think I understand why you do a lot of the things that you do. And, even though a lot of the time you messed up – did things you weren’t supposed to, or things that hurt others – I don’t think you did all of that with bad intentions.”

 

He doesn’t say anything.

 

“I don’t know, I just…” You hesitate. Should you say this next part? …Yes. It seems he needs to hear it. “I don’t agree with a lot of what you did in the game, but I think I can see why you did it all. And I wanted to tell you that… I forgive you.”

 

He jerks as though you’d just shocked him with a stun gun. “You- What??”

 

“I forgive you.” You repeat firmly.

  
“But you–  you can’t–”

 

“Yes, I can.” You glare at them. “I forgave Sonia. I forgave Tsumiki. I forgave Tanaka. I forgave Pekoyama. I forgave all our friends, and you’re not any different. We all made mistakes – we all did horrible things. But we’re also all trying to make up for it, and you’re no different from the rest of us.”

 

“No different? But–”

 

“You’re _not_.” You insist, looking away. “You always call yourself trash, and untalented, and I’m sorry that you think those things about yourself. But I don’t see you as untalented, or as an outsider. I see you as my – my comrade.” You pause. “No, I… That’s not it. I see you as my friend, Komaeda.”

 

You finally gather enough courage to look at his face, and are startled to see tears running down his cheeks for the second time that night. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to speak out of line, but I was being completely honest, and I just–”

 

He shakes his head and covers his face with his hands.

 

“Th-Thank you.” He says, his voice muffled. “I know I don’t deserve it. I know I don’t. This is p-probably a lie anyway, but…”

 

Without thinking, you pull Komaeda close and wrap your arms around him, resting your head on their shoulder as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “It’s not a lie, Komaeda. I promise.”

 

He stiffens for a moment, and you fear that he may push you away, but…

 

Slowly, hesitatingly, Komaeda raises his arms and reciprocates your hug, his chest heaving with stifled sobs.

 

It wasn’t everything you wanted. It wasn’t everything you’d been planning to say, or everything you’d wanted to ask. But while leaning into this hug…

 

You finally felt like it was enough.

  

* * *

  

_Click. Click. Click._

 

My, how she loved the sound her shoes made as she walked down this hallway! There was just _something_ about heels on marble.

 

Just because she could, she walked a few steps past her office.

 

Giggling, she then backtracked and opened her door, waving to that _special_ trainee of hers. “I’m back! I hope you weren’t too lonely without me.”

 

“…No, it was the same as always.”

 

“Awwh, you’re no fun.” She shrugged her lab coat off and pulled a chair up to the other girl. “Hey, I actually have something serious to ask you, you know? Can you put the game down for a minute?”

 

After a moment, the other girl slowly puts down her device and looks at the woman next to her. “…What is it, Yukizome-sensei?”

 

“It’s those kids I told you about.” Yukizome Chisa’s whole demeanor shifts; now serious, she takes the girl’s hand. “Listen… are you sure you don’t want to see them?”

 

She shakes her head. “No, that’s a bad idea… I think. You know why I can only connect with you.”

 

“And Chihiro-san.” Yukizome reminded her.

 

“Yes… But it’s been a long time since I was able to see them, and now I won’t be able to anymore…”

 

“I know.” Yukizome sighs. “We both miss them. But, you know that since you connected with the two of us, it’s possible you could connect with _them_ as well, right?”

 

“It’s impossible.” She shakes her head. “My own class rejected me… And this other class has impossible expectations for me, all because of that program.”

 

“No, I’m sure that’s not the case…” Yukizome frets. “You’re an amazing person, and Chihiro-san was the one who created her, anyway. Chihiro-san admired you so very much, you know? Since they could see a whole other side to you than the ‘you’ you showed to the world, they could create ‘her’ as an imitation of you. So please don’t say that they have impossible expectations…”

 

“Chihiro admired me _too_ much, that’s all.” The girl looks down at her lap. “I’m not… the amazing person they seemed to think I was.”

 

Yukizome bites her lip. “You know I don’t agree with you, but… We’ve been over this too many times, Nanami-san. I know I won’t be able to change your mind on my own.”

 

Nanami Chiaki offers her former teacher a small smile. “It does make me happy that you have so much faith in me, so I’m sorry that I can’t respond to your expectations…”

 

“You don’t have to apologize for that.” Yukizome pats her head. “I’m just sorry I can’t change your mind.”

 

“Hey, Yukizome-sensei…” Nanami pauses. “Why were you asking about the remnants of despair again?

 

“Oh…” Her face falls. “Well…”

 

“…What is it?”

 

“About them.” Yukizome leans in and suddenly hugs Nanami, who squeaks in surprise.

 

“Sensei–”

 

“There’s something wrong.” Yukizome whispers in her ear, and Nanami’s blood goes cold.

 

"What do you mean?" She whispers back.

 

“I think they’re all in grave danger.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, it's finally here! i do hope you enjoyed. and i am sorry about taking so long to update; it's been a bad year, and on top of that, it's hard to be motivated when i'm not sure if people are enjoying the story or not. so, that being said, PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS ON THIS. IT WILL HELP ME TREMENDOUSLY AS I WORK ON THIS STORY. it would also mean a LOT to me, so if you do, thank you so much.  
> next! i thought you guys may be interested in knowing that i've opened writing commissions! if you're interested in commissioning me, check out this post! http://thekomahinafucker.tumblr.com/post/156732581334/commissions  
> aaaand, i wrote a komaeda character analysis you can find here! http://thekomahinafucker.tumblr.com/post/159966941774/komaeda-nagito-character-analysis  
> finally, thanks so much for reading! if you have any questions you can contact me on twitter @elevation_ao3 or tumblr (thekomahinafucker), or you can just comment here! have a great week, guys!!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Imposter and Ibuki share their thoughts, Hinata is serious about becoming Komaeda's friend, and Izuru has some business to take care of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translator's note: 'Nisemono' means Imposter.

 

“Do I… creep you out?” the Imposter asked hesitantly.

 

Ibuki slowly shook her head. “Not anymore, Nisemono-chan.”

 

The Imposter sighed to themselves. “That means I _did_ creep you out at one point in time, correct?”

 

“Sure, when I first woke up.” Ibuki smiled at them and patted their arm. “But you’ve changed since then, and you’re a friend. Ibuki can’t be creeped out by you all the time, that would be ridiculous!”

 

The two were camped out in Ibuki’s cottage for the night. Although it was in complete disarray, the Imposter felt completely comfortable and at home. This was because Ibuki’s cottage was filled to the brim with things that made Ibuki Ibuki. The jewelry piled on the dresser, the clothes strewn across the floor, even the scattered tubes and bottles of makeup seemed to scream, ‘ _This is who I am!_ ’ Her entire room mimicked her personality perfectly.

 

The Imposter’s own cottage was squeaky clean and filled to the brim with… nothing but the furniture it came with.

 

Devoid. Empty. Purposeless... That’s what their own room was like.

 

“Oi, Ibuki,” the Imposter turned to her and looked at her seriously. “I’m sorry that you have to hang around with me.”

 

“What are you talking about??” Ibuki shook her head emphatically. “Ibuki _wants_ to ‘hang around’ with you.”

 

“Why?” They can’t help but laugh bitterly, their mood quickly going sour. “I’m not even a real person.”

 

“Eh? What does that mean…?”

 

“It means that I don’t have anything. My own personality and desires? They’re nonexistent. I don’t even have my own name.”

 

Ibuki stayed quiet as they began to ramble, perhaps sensing that they needed these things to be said.

 

“You know that’s how Enoshima influenced me, right? I mean, what is there to lose when you’re already nothing but a poor imitation? I felt like a lie. Like I was - am - the personification of a lie. I felt like I would never have someone show me genuine love, so she took advantage. And now, here I am.” They gesture to themselves. “Some of this is permanent, you know? The facial reconstruction and whatnot.”

 

“But you changed your hair and weight already?” Ibuki pointed out.

 

They made a face. “ _Yippee_ . Instead of being Junko Enoshima, I’m a fatter, _goth_ Junko Enoshima.”

 

The two friends stare at each other for a moment before dissolving into giggles.

 

“Better than the original, that's for sure.” Ibuki winked at them.

 

“Thank you, Ibuki. I think I do agree with you on that.”

 

Suddenly, Ibuki took their hand in hers, a determined look on her face. “Nisemono-chan.”

 

“W-What?” They started to feel nervous.

 

“You’re… protective.” Ibuki said, nodding to herself. “You’re a leader. You’re charismatic, and you’re witty, and you care about other people’s well-being more than your own.” She bit her lip for a moment, literally chewing over her next words. “You’re also lonely, Ibuki thinks… and afraid, and hurting, just like the rest of us. Plus, you really love food, you’re a good listener, and you encourage others all the time.” She gave them a dazzling smile. “You have your own personality, Nisemono-chan. You are your own person.”

 

“I…” The Imposter felt at a loss for words.

 

“You don’t have to think about it so much, just accept it!” Ibuki lightly punched their arm. “And hey, you know you can pick your own name, right? Something awesome, like ‘Death Rider’ or ‘Lightning Freeze’! Whatever you choose, you’re still you, no matter what you call yourself!”

 

“Ibuki,” the Imposter stared at their friend incredulously. “I think… we were destined to become friends.”

 

Ibuki started to giggle, and the Imposter couldn’t help but join in.

 

“You’re so sappy all of a sudden. It’s terrifying.” They said between giggles.

 

Ibuki flicked their arm. “ _You’re welcome_.”

 

“Yeah, I am.”

 

Ibuki squinted at them. They just shrugged.

 

“Well, anyway…” she tilted her head. “Can I call you Nisemono-chan for now? Until you pick your name?”

 

Nisemono gave their friend a genuine smile. “...Yeah. I’d like that.”

 

* * *

 

Because something was missing, you were totally ecstatic.

 

The missing thing in question was the usual feeling of horror and nausea that accompanied your mornings. Today, you had finally survived a night without a single nightmare. Which meant you woke up feeling just fine.

 

As a result, you set off from your cottage more cheery than you’d felt for a long while. Whistling to yourself, you skipped up the steps to the cafeteria and busied yourself with grabbing some breakfast. Most of your friends were already working on their own meals, and you were glad to see that familiar tuft of white hair peeking over someone’s shoulder.

 

Taking some juice with one hand as you balanced your tray with the other, you turn to the corner table Komaeda’s seated at and make your way over. He looks up at you when you put down your tray, and slowly stops chewing.

 

“Hi.” You say as you sit and take silverware out of your napkin.

 

“Hi…” He replies, seemingly wary of you. “What’s got you in such a good mood?”

 

You shrug and bite into your toast.

 

“Hm.” He studies your face for a moment. “Why are you sitting with me?”

 

“I told you yesterday. I want to be your friend.”

 

Frowning, he tries to tell you, “Hinata-kun, listen. I don’t think that’s a good idea. You caught me at a vulnerable moment yesterday, but that doesn’t change anything.”

 

“What hasn’t changed, then?” You raise an eyebrow.

 

“I’m still wary of you. And I’m probably still not worth your time, but mainly, it’s because -”

 

“Stop.” You put down your food and rest your hands on the table. “‘My bad luck will affect you because of me’, is that what you were thinking?”

 

“H-How did you -”

 

“Komaeda, no offense, but shut the fuck up.”

 

He blinks in surprise, and you press on. “I pretty much ended the world. Do you honestly think your luck could do something worse to me? Even if I do experience some bad luck, and you chalk it up to your own cycle, I can live with that. And besides, I’m probably the one who doesn’t deserve people’s time.”

 

“I-I didn’t say that…” He starts to look a bit frazzled.

 

It’s fine, Komaeda. I know you don’t know what to think of me, but you know, that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

 

He mulls over your reasoning as you open your juice, but after a moment he shakes his head. “Hinata-kun, that’s very noble of you, but I do not want to be your charity case, and I do not want your pity.”

 

You sigh and set your drink down. “Komaeda. _Seriously_. It’s not like that.”

 

“Why do you want to be my friend so badly?” He presses you.

 

“I like you.”

 

The two of you freeze. As the realization of what you just said dawns on you, you feel heat begin to rise up your cheeks. “I-I mean, as a _person_ , y’know.”

 

He scoffs and skeptically sizes you up. “I betrayed you in the simulation, Hinata-kun. That’s what _you_ said.”

 

“I betrayed myself in the simulation by turning out to be Super High-School Level Despair, Kamukura version. Next.”

 

“I’m creepy, insane, and I’ll end up destroying you all.” He gestures around the room. “That’s what _they’ve_ said.”

 

“And did they not try and accept you at the hospital that time?” You take a swig of your drink. “Next.”

 

He leans forward and looks you in the eye. “Nanami-san is dead because of me.”

 

Your hand falters, and you swallow thickly, trying to compose yourself. “...I’m still working on that one.” You tell them honestly, your voice coming out more strained than you’d intended. “But… you weren’t trying to get her killed, exactly. If I were you, and I’d found out who we all really were, and what we’d done… I don’t know. Maybe I _wouldn’t_ have done what you did. But I can’t say the chances are zero.”

 

He stares at you in utter disbelief. “Are you being serious?”

 

“Yeah, I am.” You give him a look. “God, you’re stubborn.”

 

“As are you,” He counters.

 

“Is the interrogation over? My food’s getting cold.” You dig into your toast once more, not giving him time to answer.

 

“Hmmm…” Komaeda’s expression is unreadable, but at least he doesn’t seem upset. “I can’t promise that I won’t make bad choices as your friend, though, if I did agree. I’ll probably ruin everything without meaning to…”

 

“Idiot. That’s what friends are for.”

 

He blinks. “Huh?”

 

“Friends don’t always just go along with what their friends do, they say something. Like, if you do something wrong or need to change how you act, they’ll tell you you honestly. They look out for you.”

 

Komaeda leans forward. “Friends do that?”

 

“The good ones do,” you tell him.

 

“I see…”

 

Your newly found patience is finally running thin. “So, are you gonna let me become your friend, or do I have to hypnotize you into giving me a chance.”

 

He chuckles lightly. “I have to say, no one’s ever treated me like this before… I’ll go along with you, Hinata-kun. For now.”

 

“God, finally.” You finish your toast and barely stop yourself from rolling your eyes. “Thanks for the opportunity, I guess. Whatever.”

 

“Wow, you sound so genuinely thankful, Hinata-kun. I sure am glad.”

 

“It is too early in the morning for that level of sass. And that’s coming from me.”

 

He giggle quietly. Something stirs in your chest at the sound… but no, it was probably just your nerves. You don't want to consider the other possibilities.

 

“Hey, Hinata-kun.” Komaeda interrupts your thoughts as he leans into the table once more. “I have a question.”

 

“Yeah?” You say.

 

“How do we know when we’ve become friends?” He asks solemnly.

 

“Eh?” You blink. “Uh. I don’t know.”

 

You stare at each other.

 

“Maybe when we’ve spent a certain amount of time together?” you try.

 

“Isn’t it quality over quantity, though? Maybe we have to enjoy each other a certain amount.”

 

“Or… maybe it’s after we know a lot about each other?”

 

You’re both stumped.

 

“You know what? We’ll just figure it out when we get there.”

 

“Agreed.”

 

* * *

 

You finally come to your senses.

 

Sitting up in the grass, you assess your surroundings. You’ve woken up in the park, near the Future Foundation Headquarters.

 

Good.

 

You waste no time in getting to your feet and heading into the building. It’s unusually quiet today, and you know what that must mean. But the actions of those people don’t concern you right now. You make a beeline for the computer lab, your steps echoing through the halls.

 

She was waiting for you, of course. As soon as you opened the program she was there, smiling up at you with that vicious smirk of hers. “Hello, Kamukura-senpai. You’ve come to kill me, right?”

 

You nod.

 

“Ah, well.” She draws a line in the sand. “Was there any other outcome to this? After speaking to you last time, I knew.”

 

“You won’t be the antagonist of this story anymore, Junko.”

 

“The thing you’re planning won’t work.” Her head whips up, and her eyes bore into yours. “You’re wasting your time. Your talents. Your potential, too.”

 

“I don’t care.” you say flatly. You won’t be intimidated.

 

She sighs and flops backwards onto the ground. “I can’t believe you chose hope in the end… That’s the most boring outcome. And I thought you were like me...”

 

“I am, in the sense that I abhor the mundane as you do. But in the end, hope was more unpredictable. I knew your whole plan, and I expected it to work. But it didn’t, and you know why.”

 

She makes a face. “Let’s not talk about hope just before I’m about to be destroyed. I’ll just sit here and finally experience the despair of death in this form.”

 

“Alright.” You stand and ready yourself. “You were interesting for a while, Junko. I’ll give you that. But your plan failed, and now you’re obsolete.”

 

“Awwww, senpai.” She smiles. “You always know just what to say.”

 

You lift your foot and bash the computer tower in two.

 

The screen goes black and the door immediately flies open, just as you predicted. Asahina rushes you first, and all it takes is a flick of the wrist to send her flying. Hagakure clumsily aims for your nose, but ducking his punch is like child’s play. You easily send three other agents to the ground before Togami approaches you with his taser.

 

You stand still as he presses it to your skin, and his facial expression after realizing it wasn’t affecting you was almost satisfying.

 

“Did you really think tasing me would make me ‘switch’?” You crush the device in your hand. “Thanks for believing my performance from last time.”

 

“You faked it.” Togami regains his composure, and the agents lying on the floor start picking themselves up.

 

“Guilty as charged.”

 

“What do you want, Kamukura-san?” Naegi speaks up. You hadn’t noticed him standing by the doorway until now. Kirigiri is hovering next to him, calmly sizing you up.

 

“I only wanted to send a message,” you answer him.

 

“To who?”

 

“To you.”

 

“What do you mean?” Asahina asks angrily, rubbing her bruised arm.

 

“I know you’ve been watching,” you say pointedly. “I destroyed Enoshima.”

 

“W-Why?” Naegi asked weakly.

 

“Now you know where my loyalties lie.” You look around at the agents you defeated. “However, I reserve the right to self-defense.”

 

“And why are you ‘loyal’ to us now?” Kirigiri addresses you cooly. “What is there to gain?”

 

“That’s my business.” You say.

 

“No, it isn’t. I’m guessing you need something from us, so if you want it, you’d better give us the full picture.” She crosses her arms.

 

“Hm. Fine. Although I will say; I know you were to subdue me if I acted violently, but destroying a computer hardly warrants a raid.”

 

“Point taken. Now start talking.”

 

You resign yourself to your explanation. “I’m not your enemy. I can help all of you in your… mission. No, I _want_ to. Hope has proven to be more unpredictable than despair.”

 

“So, you regret -”

 

You cut Asahina off. “Do not misunderstand me. I have no remorse. I am not capable of experiencing that feeling. I am merely one side to this coin. Emotional attachments belong to the other side, if you will. They are a part of his realm.”

 

“Kamukura.” Kirigiri’s eyes narrow. “What is your goal here, exactly?”

 

“My goal?” You look at her blankly. _As the former Super High-School Level Detective, shouldn’t she know already?_

 

“I want to become one with Hajime, of course.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Long time no see, I suppose?  
> I really hope you all enjoy this update! Please leave a comment if you can, it helps a ton to hear your thoughts and feelings for this story!  
> As always, you can contact me on twitter @elevation_ao3 or tumblr https://kaedeakamatsu.tumblr.com. If you'd like to commission me for my writing, or leave me a tip because you're enjoying this story, you can find all that info on my blog!  
> Thanks for reading, and have a fantastic week!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naegi recalls Izuru's proposal to the Future Foundation. Nidai and Komaeda have a chat part one: the comedy. New information is revealed regarding Yukizome and Nanami's plans. Koizumi and Saionji talk about the future. Nidai and Komaeda have a chat part two: the wake-up call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REAL QUICK BEFORE YOU READ. Komaeda is still nonbinary, but I've decided to switch their pronouns back to he/him for this story. This is mainly because some of you expressed that the usage of those pronouns for a main character caused too much confusion. I am not used to writing using they/them pronouns, so I do apologize for the added confusion. I'll continue to practice using they/them pronouns so that I can hopefully use them correctly for future projects, but since this fic is meant to be a "finished" work with each update, I'll save the "experimenting"/practice for another time. Speaking of, this is the last change I will make in regards to chapters that have already been posted; more on that in the ending notes.

 

It was a light afternoon that found Makoto Naegi in his usual spot overlooking the rest of the office. The whirr of his desk fan and the rumbling of conversation did little to disturb his composure; although he seemed spaced out to the workers around him, he was actually in deep concentration. His mind was running over and over through the possibilities he’d found thus far, eventually rejecting each and every one, before beginning again in the hopes that something would change. Intent as he was on this endless puzzle, he failed to realize that someone had rolled their chair next to his desk and was gazing at him in concern.

 

“...Naegi-kun.” His friend’s voice brought him back to reality; hastily turning around, he shoved the open case file on his desk to the side.

 

“Um… hi.”

 

“Hi.” she echoed, raising an eyebrow at the exposed file. “Care to explain why you’re obsessing over this again?”

 

Naegi sighed to himself and reorganized the papers spread out in front of him. “Nothing gets past you, does it?”

 

“No, it does not.” Kirigiri held her hand out, and Naegi obediently handed her the file. “Well? Tell me your thoughts.”

 

“I can? Then... I think Izuru is telling the truth,” Naegi begins. “I believe what he told us.”

 

The scene from before floated to the front of his mind, Izuru’s words echoing in the same uninterested tone as always…

 

“Hajime and I are not unlike two sides to the same coin. We each have our own realms, and cannot access one another’s. Thus, I cannot see into his memories, he cannot tap into my talents. Because of this, I do not have any ‘emotions’; that seems to be the case, anyway. If I do possess any currently, they are certainly few and far between. However. If we were to merge ourselves… become one being… I’m sure he would gain what he’s always wanted. More than one talent; he would possess them all.”

 

“And what would you gain out of this?” Naegi remembers saying in reply.

 

Izuru had fixed him with a pointed stare.”To be blunt, despair has become boring. On the other hand, hope has.. some potential. But I do not know how to hope. No, it is not just that I do not know how; it is that I am  _ incapable  _ of doing so. Knowing this, I gave up for a period of time, and as a result, nearly faded from existence. Being the man I am, though, of course I realized in time what was happening and reversed it. After all, a fate like that would be the  _ most  _ boring in the end. I knew I could not simply leave things as they are and expect to change; Therefore… I resigned myself to attempting a “convergence” with my other half; Hajime Hinata.”

 

“Why tell us this?” Asahina had replied.”What  _ exactly  _ is there to gain?”

 

“I cannot speak to Hajime myself.” Izuru pointed at Naegi. “ _ You _ can. I eliminated the last traces of Enoshima Junko from this world. I ask you to speak to him in return.”

 

“I can't guarantee that Hinata-kun will listen to me.” Naegi had cautiously replied.

 

“You are the one who destroyed Enoshima Junko, the one hailed as “Super High-School Level Hope”, are you not?” Izuru had turned away at that point. “Use the power of hope to aid your cause. That is the answer, is it not? Seeing as how I’m staking all I have on hope, I expect you to do the same....”

 

Kirigiri rouses Naegi from his trip down memory lane by flicking him in the forehead. “Naegi-kun. Where did you go? Stay with me, here.”

 

“Sorry…” Naegi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

 

“I also believe that Izuru Kamukura is telling the truth. Why does this bother you?”

 

He fidgeted with his pen. “Well.. you know I’m a good friend of Hinata’s.”

  
  
“Yes.”

 

“Well… he’s not going to take this very well.”

 

“Yes, that is a favorable prediction.”

 

“I just…” Naegi groaned and rubbed his temples. “I can feel how upset he’s going to be, you know? It’s bad enough that Izuru’s been taking control without him knowing, but for Izuru to want to FUSE with him? Which we don’t even know will work? Or HOW it would work, if they could do such a thing? How do I explain this to him?” He lowered his head. “What if this interferes with his recovery..? He’s been doing so well up until now…”

 

Kirigiri hummed to herself, then posed a question. “Naegi… shouldn’t you have more hope than that?” 

 

Naegi blinked… and started to laugh. “Yeah, yeah, okay, you’re right. I believe in Hinata-kun, so even if he’s upset at first, he’ll push through it. Right?”

 

“Exactly.” Kirigiri leans in to kiss Naegi’s cheek. “There’s the Makoto we all know and love.”

 

“Oh, stop…” Naegi’s cheeks flush.

 

“Anyway,” As she stands and grabs her things, she reminds him, “Just remember that we’ll all be there, okay?”

 

“Right!” Naegi nods.

 

Kirigiri smiles and waves before taking her exit.

 

After a slight pause, Naegi leans back in his seat and returns to strategizing.

 

* * *

 

“Komaeda.”

 

The gruff voice startled him so badly his whole body jumped. “A-Ah- Nidai-kun! Where did you come from?”

 

Nidai looked at his face, then down at the misshapen wood strung together at his feet, then back up at him. “The beach... But is  _ that  _ the pressing question right now, Komaeda? Shouldn't I be asking about that raft you've got there? Did you build this?"

 

“Ahaha, I suppose you’re right!” He smiled and gestured to the item in question. “With such obviously shoddy handiwork, this can't be anyone’s other than mine!”

 

“So you built a raft, then!” Nidai crossed his arms and laughed.

 

“I did!” Komaeda laughed with him.

 

...

 

 

“So then… why?” Nidai broke the silence.

 

“Oh, I have to leave this place.” Komaeda said matter-of-factly. “I don’t plan on going anywhere, but I’ll be leaving all the same!”

 

“Ohhh, you're leaving, okay." Nidai scratched his head, then cleared his throat. “Sorry, could you run your plan by me? I don’t get it.”

 

“Plan?” Komaeda echoed curiously.

 

“Why you’re leaving.”

 

“Ah, that!” Komaeda smiled up at him pleasantly. “Well, you see, Hinata-kun insisted on becoming my friend, so I’ll have to get off this island before he ends up dead!”

 

Nidai stared at Komaeda. Komaeda smiled back at Nidai.

 

“It’s time we had a talk,” Nidai stated decisively. “Sorry about this-”

 

Komaeda was lifted into the air and slung over Nidai’s back in one swift movement. “Wh-Whoa!” He gasped, then laughed against Nidai’s shoulder. “Is this a kidnapping, Nidai-kun?”

 

“Only if you fall asleep! Gehahahahaha!”

 

“Fall asleep? Wait… a… kid _ napping _ …. “

 

Komaeda giggled to himself the entire way back to the dorms.

 

* * *

 

“It’s okay to pack more than the bare minimum, as long as we do this fast!” Yukizome called over her shoulder as she rummaged around her companion's closet.

 

“If you say so…” Nanami tapped her chin as she surveyed her dresser. “I suppose I’ll pack some more of my games, in that case.”

 

“I should’ve known you’d go with that route..” Yukizome made a face. “I meant clothes, you know?”

 

“I’ve packed enough clothes already… I think.” She pulled a few cases from her top drawer and slid them into her bag. “Once I’ve grabbed my portables, I’ll be all ready.”

 

“Really? Is that so?” Yukizome  _ tsked  _ dramatically and pulled Nanami’s old uniform out of her closet with a flourish. “ _ Sure _ you’re not missing anything??”

 

Nanami simply stared at her teacher, disapproval written across her face. “I’m not taking that.”

 

“Why not? You loved this outfit, Chiaki-chaaaan…” Yukizome pouted.

 

“It would be stupid to wear a uniform when I’m not going to school.” she ignored Yukizome’s attempt to win her over via puppy eyes and a childish pout.

 

“Mhmm... ” Yukizome straightened up. “So, it’s  _ not  _ because you know Fujisaki-chan programmed your AI to be wearing that outfit?”

 

Nanami’s muted disapproval hardened into a scowl. “It has nothing to do with that.”

 

“So you saaaay~!” Yukizome sing-songed as she pulled the outfit off its hanger. “Well, I’ll just be sure to hold onto this for you!”

 

“Yukizome-sensei-”

 

Yukizome stomped her foot and pointed directly at Nanami. “No more arguing! This is what’s best for you, my little rotten orange!”

 

Nanami knew, from the look on her former teacher’s face, that there was no dissuading her. “...Fine. Do what you want… I won’t be wearing it, either way.” 

 

Yukizome looked so disappointed after hearing that, though, that Nanami couldn’t help relenting slightly. “...Actually… I mean, I’m sorry for being so stubborn.”

 

“No, it’s quite alright.” Yukizome walked over to pat Nanami’s head. “I know you have your boundaries.”

 

Feeling uncomfortably cornered for some reason, Nanami quickly changed the subject. “Tell me, who exactly is coming with us?”

 

“Ah!” Yukizome clapped her hands together. “I don’t believe you’ve met!  He’s-” A sudden knock at the door interrupted her. “...Well, isn't that some scary timing! It must be him.”

 

“I’m finished, so it’s okay to leave with him… I think.” Nanami offered.

 

“After you then, Chiaki-chan.” Yukizome quickly stuffed the rest of her things into her suitcase and began her inevitable struggle with its zipper.

 

Nanami, knowing it would take Yukizome some time to fully close her case, went ahead and opened the door. There, she found a timid-looking boy standing in front of her dorm room, his attention focused on the end of the hallway. He was smaller, lean, and tired-looking; the dark circles under his eyes matched her own perfectly. Seeing him standing there, posed like he was, made Nanami think he must be some sort of NPC. Perhaps he showed up to hurry the plot along… but at the very least, Nanami realized the items he carried suggested there would be more to his story. He was holding what seemed to be an artists’ carrying case close to his chest, while his other hand gripped the straps of a plain traveling bag. She had never seen this boy before, she was sure of that, but… The Future Foundation pin on his blazer indicated he was from her same department. 

 

Curious, she stared at him without speaking.

 

The stranger turned in her direction and jumped immediately, only  _ now  _ realizing the door had been opened. Stumbling over himself, he quickly bowed, his eyes darting between Nanami and the older woman wrestling a suitcase into submission. “H-Hello, Yukizome-sensei. And you must be Nanami-san… It’s, um, really nice to meet you.”

 

“Nice to meet you too… I think?” Nanami glanced at her teacher. “So, is that him..?”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry! I forgot to introduce myself..” the stranger fretted. “That must make me seem so rude..”

 

“It’s quite alright!” Yukizome, who had finally forced her suitcase closed, shooed her into the hallway and followed, closing the door behind them. Without giving even a moment’s pause, she slung her arm across the boy’s shoulders, playfully shooting a wink at Nanami. “Allow me. This here’s... our secret weapon!”

 

“Secret weapon…?” Nanami repeated.

 

“S-Sensei, please don’t give her the wrong idea…” the boy pleaded.

 

Yukizome pouted at the both of them. “Come on, it was just a bit of fun...” Shifting her demeanor in an instant, Yukizome abruptly straightened up and regarded them strictly. “Now that you’re here, though, it’s time to get serious.”

 

“Are we leaving right away?” the boy asked.

 

“Yes, we are. We don’t want to arouse suspicion, so we shouldn’t wait around.” Yukizome hoisted her luggage into the air and set off down the hallway, making her companions struggle to keep up. “Nobody uses the stairs up here to the right, so let’s take this exit!”

 

“But, Yukizome-sensei - ” Nanami fumbled with her own bag, huffing as she tried not to fall behind. “H-How will this make.. any difference? What exactly... can  _ we  _ do... to change the situation?”

 

“I have been.. w-wondering that myself…” the boy added.

 

“What will we do? Isn’t it obvious?” Yukizome glanced back at the two of them and raised an eyebrow.

 

“We’re getting rid of Super High-School Level Despair, of course.”

 

* * *

 

Koizumi peered at her face in the mirror, taking in the unfamiliar figure staring back at her. Her hair, now much longer than she was used to, brushed against her shoulders in an unfamiliar movement as she pivoted from side to side. It was wavy now, and seeing it this way made her wonder why she hadn’t tried to grow it out before. It was true that her hair had become more of a hassle, especially during the times she attempted to get the best angles in her photographs (as photographers often do), but that wasn't bothering her at all. In fact, for the first time in a while, she felt as though she was just… living. Instead of strictly focusing her entire life on her talent, her world had shifted into something much more natural. As silly as it sounded, growing out her hair still made her realize she could live for herself and seek personal growth at last.

 

A peculiar feeling of restlessness welled up in her, and she turned to her friend imploringly. “Hey... Have you thought about what you’d like to do when we renovate the islands?”

 

Her friend smiled at her angelically, radiating innocence... or so it seemed. “Of course! I’m going to teach allllll the children the best ways to squish anties!”

 

“Hiyoko-chan, please.” Koizumi made a face. “That’s too much. Be serious about this, I'm asking for a reason.”

 

“Oh?” Saionji finished pinning up her hair and turned to fully regard Koizumi. “Well, if Koizumi-onee wants to know… I thought I could teach dancing and put on shows for the islands… The performances would include multiple solos for yours truly, of course.”

 

“Naturally.” Koizmi rolled her eyes. “Anyway… I've been thinking. Maybe I could be in charge of organizing everyone?”

 

“Ehh?” Saionji grabbed Koizumi’s sleeve. “You mean, you wanna be Mayor?!”

 

“I-I don’t know about  _ that _ ,” Koizumi rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “I just mean that... I was thinking there were things I could do without relying on my talent, you know?”

 

“So that’s what it is…” Saionji nodded. “Well, I think you’d be the best choice for mayor! Hell, if anyone goes against you I’ll knock ‘em down myself, that’s how sure I am! They stand no chance against the two of us!”

 

“ _ Yes _ , yes, alright.” Koizumi pinched Saionji’s cheek. “So ferociously cute. Are you growing up to become a lion?”

 

“Don’t tease me...” Saionji pouted. “I meant that.”

 

“I know you did.” Koizumi smiled reassuringly. “...Well, shall we be off?”

 

“Hooray!” Saionji instantly perked up. “Let’s go, let’s  _ go _ , I’ve been waiting for this date  _ forever _ _!_ ” She grabbed Koizumi’s sleeve to hurriedly pulled her along.

 

“I’m comi- Hey, Hiyoko-chan, wait up!” Koizumi had to jog a few steps to avoid being pulled into the ground. “Geez, you’re so eager.”

 

“Don’t act like you’re not excited!” Saionji shot back. 

 

Koizumi stifled a laugh. “Alright, I’m excited. Just don’t kill me before we even get anywhere, okay?”

 

“Ariiiiiiiiiiiiiight!” 

 

Koizumi smiled and shook her head; Saionji's eagerness was far too charming. Despite her growing anticipation for their date, though, she couldn’t help lingering on the idea her girlfriend had put into her head...

 

_ Mayor Koizumi, huh? I kind of like the sound of that. _

 

* * *

 

Komaeda, who had been unceremoniously plopped down onto Nidai’s bed, was staring up at Nidai with a confused half-smile. He was pacing back and forth, clearly thinking very hard about something, but Komaeda had no idea what was going through his head.

 

“Alright.” he stopped pacing to face Komaeda. “Just one question to start us off. Have you ever had a friend to call your own?” Nidai studied his face closely.

 

Komaeda laughed. “Of course not, who would want to become friends with trash such as myself?”

 

Nodding, Nidai straightened up and declared, “Alright. That settles it. From now on, I’ve decided to coach you.”

 

“C-coach me?!” Komaeda shook his head vehemently. “No, I couldn’t take up your time and talents, it would be such a waste, and I’ve never been good at sports anywa-”

 

“No, no, this has nothing to do with sports!” Nidai laughed and patted Komaeda’s shoulder. “Listen, Komaeda. I’m going to be your life coach, got it?”

 

“My life coach…?” Komaeda blinked. “Why?”

 

“Because you need one! And it's my job to guide people!” Nidai sat next to Komaeda and addressed him seriously. “Don’t you want to be friends with Hinata?”

 

“Well, in simple terms, yes.” Komaeda answered. “But that doesn’t-”

 

“Uh, uh, uh!” Nidai held up a finger. “Stop right there. It  _ does  _ matter. And besides, everyone can tell the two of you want to be close to each other.”

 

“E-Eh?” Komaeda felt heat rise in his cheeks.

 

“Don’t sweat it! It’s perfectly natural.” Nidai laughed. “But we can’t have you disappearing on us, so I’ve decided to step in.”

 

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” Komaeda scratched his head. “What does any of this have to do with your decision to coach me?”

 

“I’ll get there, I’ll get there!” Nidai waved his hand. “Look. You seem to see the world differently from how most people do. And that’s okay! But at a certain point, you take things too far, and you get these ideas in your head that you decide are facts, when that’s just not true. Er, I’ll try to word that a little better. What I mean is, you need someone like me to show you how to live!”

 

Komaeda did not look any less confused. Nidai sighed.

 

“Okay, forget what I said. Let me just ask you a few things.”

 

“Alright, Nidai-kun!” Komaeda bit his lip. “...Sorry for taking so much of your time, and for causing you frustration.”

 

“Okay, that’s a good place as any to start.” Nidai cracked his knuckles. “Why are you apologizing, Komaeda? I’m the one who asked you to do this.”

 

“Oh, because, well, you’re an Ultimate! Whereas I’m just-”

 

“Aren’t you one of us, too?” Nidai asked, then shook his head. “No, wait, we’ll come back to that. First of all, you don’t have to apologize so often. I know you do it on impulse, but c’mon! Try saying ‘thank you’ instead.”

 

“‘Thank you’?” Komaeda repeated.

 

“Yeah! If you really can’t help saying something, say ‘thanks for being patient with me’ or ‘thanks for explaining that to me’, or whatever you need to say in the right context! Understand?”

 

“Theoretically, yes, but-”

 

“Then you’ve gotta make sure to do that from now on!” Nidai interrupted him. “Next! Hinata wants to be your friend. So you plan to leave the island. Why is that?”

 

Komaeda tried to keep up with Nidai’s questions as best as he could. “Well, that is, um... my luck cycle will surely kill him, or maim him, or do something equally as horrible….”

 

Nidai paused. “Has that happened before?”

 

“Oh… Yes, to be honest. My parents were killed because of me, you see.”

 

Nidai drew in a deep breath. “I heard a few things from Hinata about your past, so I’m not surprised, but… Well, the bottom line is that you can’t let your luck cycle stop you.”

 

“Are you serious?” Komaeda gaped at him. “Of course I can, I  _ should _ _!_ If more people die because of me-” his hands started to shake, but only Nidai noticed this- “I can’t let that happen, no more-”

 

“Alright, alright, it’s okay.” Nidai patted his back. “Just take a deep breath and calm down. We can talk about that one some other time. Okay? Deep breaths, you hear me!!”

 

“Y-Yes.” Komaeda followed Nidai’s instructions, slowly uncurling his fists and relaxing his hands.

 

“Good job, Komaeda!” Nidai praised him. “I just have one last thing for today, alright? Then we’ll continue your training tomorrow.”

 

“I… Alright. What is it?” Komaeda resigned himself to his fate.

 

“In that... Simulation world,” Nidai began. “You used to tell us that you wanted to become a “stepping stone” for the ‘greatest hope’, right?”

 

“Ah, yes!” Komaeda’s heart fluttered and he clasped his hands together gleefully. “Somehow, I managed to fulfill that dream!”

 

“Because of how things ended and how we are now, right?” Nidai offered.

 

“Yes, that’s it!” Komaeda smile turned sour. “No wonder I have nothing left!”

 

“‘Have nothing left’? What’s that mean?” Nidai squinted at him.

 

“Well, my purpose in life has always been to become a stepping stone for hope… Not only have I served that purpose, but somehow, I was even lucky enough to become a stepping stone for the  _ greatest  _ hope!” Komaeda explained. “So… there’s no reason for someone like me to exist anymore! And yet, I’m still alive… even I couldn’t foresee this outcome. That’s why I have to leave before the cycle can start again…”

 

“Komaeda,” Nidai began. “You’ve got that wrong.”

 

“Hm?” Komaeda felt a bit taken aback. “How so?”

 

“There are  _ endless  _ reasons for you to stay alive!” Nidai began. “You can stay alive to learn! You can stay alive to grow! You can stay alive to watch a movie you like, to enjoy your favorite dish, to watch the seasons come and go!” his gestures became wild as his passion fueled his speech.”You don’t have to justify living to anyone! You can live for everything or nothing at all! All you should really try to do is to  _ find happiness _ .”

 

“I....” Komaeda didn’t know what to say. “...I don’t deserve…”

 

“ _ Everyone _ deserves happiness!” Nidai’s voice boomed through the room. “That includes you!”

 

“Putting that aside-” Komaeda argued, “Even if I did, theoretically, deserve something like that, it isn’t enough to live for. ‘Happiness’ isn’t something you can easily find, it’s - it’s elusive, it’s fleeting. Even if you obtain it, you cannot ignore the weight of your responsibilities and call it a purpose. Especially for someone like me..!”

 

“Hey hey hey, listen to what I’m telling you!” Nidai firmly put his hands on Komaeda’s shoulders. “Your perception is messed up! You think - no, you’re looking at the world through a funhouse mirror, y’know? The ones that make you look like a cartoon. Or like, uhh, a limp vegetable? Right?” 

 

Komaeda just stared at him blankly.

 

“I’m sure you know what I mean! In other words, your purpose’s right in front of you, but you’ve warped things so badly you don’t even know it’s there. And you may think you only cause harm to others, but that’s warped, too. Don’t you see how everyone here’s been trying to connect with you? We wouldn’t be doing this if you weren’t worth it. Don’t start talking about ‘doing harm’ to us, either, I recognize that look! Komaeda. Do you really think any of us would be scared of unlucky things that  _ might  _ happen to us? Well, anyone besides Souda, but that’s just his personality… Sorry, that’s off-topic.” Nidai cleared his throat. “Anyway! You can’t scare the group that destroyed the world. So… huh? What was my point again? ...Oh, of course! I was going to say - your purpose in life isn’t to be a ‘stepping stone’, and it isn’t to ‘serve hope’. Your ‘purpose’ is to find happiness, whether you like it or not. That’s what humans live for!”

 

Komaeda was utterly bewildered. Why would Nidai say these things to  _ him _ , of all people? How could he be so sure of himself? There was no way something like that could be true...

 

And yet, there was a small part of him; a broken, naive part of himself that he could not be rid of, a part of himself he refused to acknowledge... that longed to believe every word.

  
  


“How do you know?” he heard himself ask. The question had bubbled up to the tip of his tongue and spilled out so fast he was unable to catch it.

 

Nidai hovered for a moment, carefully choosing his words. With a bittersweet smile full of nostalgia, he told the other, “It was a lesson I had to learn for myself a long, long time ago. One I forgot during my time at Kibougamine.”

 

The simple honesty and earnestness Nidai displayed finally stumped Komaeda. For a moment, he wondered if Nidai’s words  _ were  _ true, even for someone like him.

 

“Well…” he paused. “I suppose… It would be rude of me to argue further, or to refuse your offer, so... I’ll ‘train’ under you, if you really want me to.”

 

A wide grin bloomed over Nidai’s face. “There you go, I’ll take it! Any progress is good news, even if it’s a small step like this one. I knew you had it in you!”

 

Komaeda wasn’t so sure, but… he decided to go along with it. For a little while, at least.

 

After all, when it comes to his luck… who knows what might happen?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY. it's been a while, yeah? i hope this chapter lived up to your expectations!  
> expanding on the notes from the beginning - i've decided i want Elevation to be more set in stone. i.e., after I go through the chapters and switch Komaeda's pronouns (which won't happen immediately, btw, because it's almost four in the morning) i'll pretty much leave posted chapters alone. i'll only change what i've posted if I notice a typo or grammar issue, but that's it! i apologize again for switching things up; sometimes i get excited about ideas i have and go through with them without considering whether i am able to carry them out ("can i correctly use they/them pronouns and NOT confuse the shit out of everyone including myself"). thanks for understanding!  
> Some more updates from me... my URL changed! If you'd like to discuss/ask about Elevation, you can now reach me @kaedeakamatsu on tumblr! And yes, that is the canon URL. It's a long story, but basically, I got luckier than I'd ever been in my entire life.  
> I've been thinking it might be cool to post chibi elevation-komahinas in my tumblr posts when i share a new chapter. If you're interested in drawing some for me to use, message me on tumblr! Credit will be given, ofc.  
> Part of the reason this particular chapter took so long is because I started a danganronpa voice acting blog (@danganvoice on tumblr)! It's a lot to maintain because we're low on members. You should come check us out, haha! Especially since we'll be posting an excerpt from Elevation soon!^^  
> Annual reminder to pleasepleasepleasePLEASE leave a comment, every single one helps my motivation so much and I absolutely adore hearing from all of you!   
> Aaaaaaaaand finally, of course, thanks so much for reading! The story's progressing slowly but surely; it wouldn't be progressing at all if it wasn't for you guys, though! I can never thank you enough for reading, liking, sharing, and supporting Elevation.^^ please have a great week and enjoy yourselves!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ibuki takes the plunge, Owari shares a sense of foreboding, Peko and Kuzuryuu reminisce, and Nanami finally reaches her destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you get to the section that's all italics: that means it's a memory.

 

“Please… stop…” Ibuki groaned, pushing her covers off her sweaty body. It had become one of _those_ nights.

 

All of Ibuki’s past deeds, all the unspeakable terrors she had wrought were clinging to her mind and senses, breaking down the oh-so-delicate facade she clung to. Her eyes were darting back and forth, unable to unsee the chaos of unending carnage and the warped faces of countless victims. Her nose betrayed her, cruelly reveling in the metallic scent of blood and the rot of decaying flesh. Her skin flushed, hair-raising chills swirling down her back. And the worst of it… her ears. The echoes of desperate cries for help, the torturous shrieks of pain, the devastated, heart-wrenching sobbing that never ended. The deep, crazed despair that had destroyed so much…

 

Ibuki could still hear it. _All_ of it.

 

Removing her covers did no good. She could still feel the weight of everything pressing into her body, flattening her soul with every second that passed. She had to get _out_ , she had to escape this impenetrable prison -

 

So she did. Stumbling over her own feet, Ibuki opened the door and lurched over the wooden planks laid out in front of the cottage. Almost as if she were in a frenzied daze, she continued to drag herself towards the hotel. Each step accented her ragged breathing… each breath tugged her chest further, nearly splitting in two. Then Ibuki finally felt the hot tears dripping down her cheeks, and knew there was only one thing for her to do.

 

She stepped up to the pool, took a deep breath… and let herself fall over the edge, plunging into the water with the choppy movements of a desperate person. A broken person.

 

Ibuki sank. Her hair twisted and swirled around her like a puff of black and red ink. Her body went limp as she embraced the cool darkness of the water. Slowly, she closed her eyes, and…

 

Used her feet to push her body back up to the surface.

 

Inhaling sharply the moment the air hit her face, Ibuki let herself breathe freely and relax into a floating position. Finally, she was rejuvenated; refreshed enough to begin calming down on her own. Opening her eyes, she stared up at the stars winking and shining through the sky…

 

Time passed before quiet footsteps told her that she was not alone; another person stood at the edge of the pool. From the corner of her eye, Ibuki saw them unceremoniously plunge into the pool. They, too, submerged themselves before joining Ibuki on the surface of the water. Neither of them spoke at first.

 

Then Ibuki looked at them. “You too, huh?”

 

Tsumiki’s bloodshot eyes met her own. “Y-Yes… me too.”

 

Moving on impulse, Ibuki took the girl’s hand and squeezed it gently. “You’re not alone.”

 

A genuine smile began blooming over Tsumiki’s tear-stained cheeks. The sight nearly took Ibuki’s breath away.

 

“You’re not alone, either.” Tsumiki said.

 

* * *

 

At half past six you started to climb the hotel steps and made your way into the kitchen. Teruteru was already preparing the ingredients but he still called you over with a smile. " Hinata-Kun!" stop right in, I've got a very special job set up for you!"

 

"Ahaha..." you fix him with a deadly glare. "Don't even think about it."

 

He only chuckles. Don't worry, I know. l was kidding." he replied. "You'll be chopping the vegetables to start out with."

 

"Gotcha." You pull an apron over your clothes and set about your tasks for the day. Teruteru directs you with confidence, and its not long before the scents wafting from the ovens attract a particularly ravenous classmate of yours.

 

“Right on time, as promised, little chef man!” Owari bounds into the room and skids to a stop in front of Teruteru, holding her hand up.

 

He takes her stinging high-five with grace. “Same to you, if everything’s set up already!”

 

“Yep, I got everything laid out, no problem!” She says excitedly. “Man, it’s the best when I’m on kitchen duty!”

 

“Not for me. You know when you’re the assistant chef I end up having to make double the amount of food I usually do? You just eat instead of helping!”

 

Owari laughs. “Sorry then, my bad. Your cooking’s so good I can’t help it!”

 

“You’re forgiven,” is Teruteru’s immediate reply. You roll your eyes but can’t help smiling at their innocent chatter.

 

Normal days like this one were the days that mattered most. You knew this now.

 

“We’re ready for serving, right?” You ask Teruteru.

 

“Absolutely!”

 

“Let’s go, then.” The three of you carry the food into the restaurant and circle the room to fill the plates. One by one your classmates step into the room and find their seats. The low murmur of conversation makes you feel so relaxed…

 

“Alright, everyone!” Naegi stands in front of his chair to call the room to order. “Let’s begin our meeting!”

 

You and your fellow kitchen handlers quickly hang up your aprons and take your seats. Asahina grins in the group’s direction and says, “I just wanna point out that the kitchen crew has my full seal of approval, as always!” A smattering of giggles follow her comment/

 

“Of course.” Naegi, now seated, turns to address Komaeda. “How was cleaning crew?”

 

“Excellent!” he replied. “We have entirely taken care of the public facilities on the third island, including the hospital.”

 

“That’s wonderful news,” Kirigiri said. “What do you plan to tackle next?”

 

“The abandoned homes on that same island,” came Komaeda’s reply. “We’re hoping it’ll allow for more occupants than we originally planned.”

 

“Great job, Komaeda-kun.” Naegi smiled at him. “Temporary Planning Crew, what’s your news?”

 

Koizumi stands and adjusts her skirt, looking a bit nervous. “I have decided to run for the position of mayor, once we are ready to receive one.”

 

A chorus of cheers and ‘ooo's fill the room.

 

“Yay, Koizumi-onee!” Saionji hollers, making the poor girl flush red. “No one would be better for the job!”

 

“That fits you very well, Koizumi-san!” Sonia exclaims.

 

“Indeed, someone of your stature would be powerful in such a mortal concept!” Tanaka folds his arms and chuckles. “I see now that your fellow kind must be shaken to their cores by this development!”

 

“I… think that was a compliment?” Koizumi shrugs. “Well, anyway, we have a good plan for a system that allows people onto the islands. They’ll have to be interviewed by Taeko Shishido, head psychologist here, and our own Tsumiki-san, who’s extremely well-versed in what we need to look out for.”

 

Tsumiki smiles shyly and bows her head. “I-I’ll make sure the islands stay safe for everyone!”

 

“I guess that doesn’t make me too concerned about the new people, then.” Saionji says. You don’t miss Koizumi beaming proudly at her.

 

“Th-Thank you!” Tsumiki squeaks.

 

“Yo! For building crew, we’re just about finished adding the extra cabins,” Souda volunteers. “Plus, we’re about halfway done with the safety railings on the bridges and paths.”

 

“Sweet-o! All the kiddies will be safe-and-sound!” Ibuki gives him a thumbs up.

 

“Yeah, that’s what the plan’s for!” Souda grins. “We’ll be getting started on the stage, lesson rooms, and dance studios next.”

 

“Oh, wow! Took you long enough.” Saionji quips (but everyone can see how pleased she is to hear this).

 

“Great! So next, we should update everyone on our own interns!” Naegi continues running your meeting. “So-”

 

“Oi, Nagi.” Owari suddenly interrupted.

 

He laughs awkwardly. “It’s... Naegi, but yes, what is it?”

 

Owari pushes her hair back. “Is someone coming here today?”

 

The Future Foundation members exchange confused looks. “No, no one is.” Asahina answers.

 

“Really? Okay then.” Owari shrugs.

 

Everyone stares at her expectantly.

 

“What?” she asks, now looking equally as confused.

 

“Well, why do you ask?” Hagakure finally says.

 

“Why? Uh, I dunno. Just had a weird feeling like… something’s coming.”

 

“Ooooookay,” Asahina frowns. “Well, that’s creepy, so moving on…”

 

But Owari, despite being creepy, turned out to be completely right.

 

* * *

 

_“I have to be honest with you,” Kuzuryuu said. “Will you listen to what I have to say?”_

 

_Eight months prior to the meeting Peko answered his question with a nod. “You know I have no reason to refuse.”_

 

_“Okay.” Kuzuryuu took a deep breath. “Okay. So… shit. This is hard to say. Fuck.”_

 

_Pekoyama chuckled quietly. “Take all the time you need. I won’t rush you.”_

 

_“Right. Shit. Okay.” Kuzuryuu steadied himself. “Peko.”_

 

_“Yes?” she answered._

 

_“Through the simulation and through losing you, I learned something very important,” he said seriously. “I have to tell you that I… I really love you. No exaggerations or lies here, I swear. Y’know… when I thought you were dead, it was like fucking… all those dumbass metaphors about ‘losing the light in life’ and ‘not being able to breathe’, all of them were true. I was a fool in there and I was a fool before, too. I let my fear or rejection stop me from confessing to you and I let Junko manipulate me through that fear.” He shook his head. “But I won’t be that person anymore.”_

 

_“You haven’t been that person for a long time,” Pekoyama assured him. “I’ve always known you to be a caring and generous person, but seeing you now… watching you interact with the others… I’m overjoyed to see you share those parts of yourself.”_

 

_Kuzuryuu looked up at her with nervous anticipation. “And…?”_

 

_“And I seem to have learned the same lesson.” Peko gave him one of her rare genuine smiles. “Before, I was obsessed with duty above all else. It was my duty to be your tool, it was my duty to protect you, it was my duty to be nothing more. However… Kuzuryuu.”_

 

_“Y-Yeah?”_

 

_“Here’s your answer.”_

 

_She took a deep breath._

 

_“I won’t protect you out of duty anymore. I won’t be the tool always at your side. I will no longer live as Peko Pekoyama…._

 

_… I shall protect you because I want to protect you. I shall stay by your side as myself, because that’s where I want to be. And I don’t have a ring, but… from now on, I want to live out my days as Peko Kuzuryuu.” She held out her hand. “So, Fuyuhiko… what do you say?”_

 

_“After all the shit I’ve pulled?” he took her hand in his own. “I know by now to appreciate what I can before it’s too late. Of course I say yes.” a smile slowly stretched across his face. “...Of fuckin’ course.”_

 

* * *

 

Chiaki Nanami’s chest felt tighter and tighter the closer she got to her destination. She’d spent some time trying to distract herself with games, but eventually lost her focus and went to watch the water instead. Over the long trip, she’d seen absolutely filthy parts of the ocean - sections covered in trash or red with blood - but she didn’t dwell on any of that. Instead, she paid attention to the rare glimpses of blue ocean, the few signs of life, and the rhythm of the ship as it cut through the waves.

 

It was almost peaceful… except -

 

“Hrk..! HUUUURGGEHH…!”

 

Except for him.

 

Nanami handed her companion the fresh towel she was holding. “You lasted twenty minutes longer this time… I think. Congrats, Mitarai-kun.”

 

He took the towel with shaking hands and wiped his face. “S-Sorry…”

 

“You have a weak stomach, I know. But you can’t help that, so it’s fine.”

 

He chuckled weakly. “Sorry you have to deal with me, Nanami-san.”

 

She shrugged. “It’s not your fault you’re seasick.”

 

“I appreciate you saying that…” Mitarai sighed and slumped over. “At least we’re almost there.”

 

“We are?” Nanami blinked.

 

“Chiaki-chaaaaan! You can see the islands from here!” Yukizome called from the other side of the boat. Impeccable timing, as usual.

After taking a deep breath, Nanami stood and fixed her hair, mentally preparing to leave the ship. As they got closer, she saw a figure rush away from the boardwalk and disappear into the island. Mitarai must have seen the same thing, because the two of them shared an extremely wary look.

 

“No need for nerves, let’s just get moving!” Yukizome appeared behind them, nearly scaring Mitarai out of his wits. “Come on, grab your luggage as well, okay? Let’s do this!”

 

“Are we going to go find Naegi-kun?” Nanami asked as they descended the stairs.

 

“Yes! I’d like to talk to him before we see anyone else, if possi-”

 

“THERE!” they were interrupted by a loud cry that came from the end of the boardwalk. “I told you, Ol’ man! A huge-ass boat, just like I said-”

 

The owner of the voice, a mature-looking woman with brown hair, stopped in her tracks as she finally noticed Yukizome and her students. “Oi, who the fuck are you?”

 

The man who had followed her put his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t be rude, Owari. I’m sure they’re the people picked by Naegi -”

 

But Owari suddenly shook off his hand and launched herself at Nanami, sending both girls tumbling over each other. Nanami barely had time to gasp before Owari clutched her side and - to Nanami’s surprise - burst into tears.

 

“Nanamiiiiiiiii, it’s you! You’re not dead!” The girl cried. Nanami looked up at Yukizome for help.

 

But her saviour turned out to be the tough-looking man who had followed Owari, since he strode over to them and plucked Owari off of the ground as easily as one would carry a flower.

 

“Owari,” he said sternly. “Calm down. I know how you feel, but this can’t be our Nanami. Remember? Our Nanami only existed inside the program.”

 

“Oh, I forgot…” Owari wiped her face. “But, Ol’ Man Nidai, how is she-?”

 

“Allow me to explain.” Yukizome finally stepped forward and offered her hand to Nanami, who took it gratefully. Her teacher pulled her off the ground and fixed her eyes on Owari and Nidai. “This is Chiaki Nanami-san, the girl used as a model for the AI you know as Chiaki Nanami.”

 

“I see…” Nidai slowly nodded. “So Nanami had a model?”

 

This wasn’t exactly true, but Nanami was grateful for the explanation anyway. “Um, yes, that’s how it is.”

 

“So, what can we do for Nanami’s model and…?”

 

“Yukizome Chisa.” Her teacher offered her hand, and Nidai shook it politely. “And this is Ryota Mitarai.”

 

Mitarai just waved weakly from where he stood.

 

Nidai cleared his throat. “So…?”

 

“We’re here to see Naegi.” Yukizome added. “It’s extremely important.”

 

Nidai looked… almost worried as he listened to Yukizome. Still, he nodded and finally set Owari down. “Naegi’s probably still at the cafeteria… I can show you the way?”

 

“That would be amazing, thank you.” Yukizome turned to her students. “Well? Are you guys ready?”

 

They both nodded. Nanami saw Nidai bend over and whisper something in Owari’s ear. The girl nodded, turned, and sprinted down the path.

 

Yukizome didn’t question it, but Nanami felt worried for some reason. Were they trying to hide something from their group?

 

“Lead the way!” Yukizome cheered, and Nidai obliged with a loud laugh.

 

Nanami and Mitarai shared a wary look once more.

 

In no time, they reached the building marked ‘Hotel Mirai’. Nanami spotted Owari at the door; she seemed to be pulling someone out of the building. As they got closer, she could tell that it was a boy with strange hair. They seemed to be arguing.

 

“Come on, Hinata, it won’t take long!”

 

“Naegi said he needed to talk to me, can’t we do this after?!”

 

Yukizome raised an eyebrow. Nidai laughed, but started to slow down, and he stepped in front of Nanami surreptitiously.

 

Unfortunately, this only made Nanami trip over her own feet and fall face-first onto the ground with a defeated “oof”.

 

Owari and the other boy looked back at her, and he finally noticed the group. Stepping around Nidai, he offered his hand to her. “Uh, you okay?”

 

“Yes, I’m fine, thank you…” Nanami took his hand and pulled herself up, nervously offering a small smile to the boy…

 

...Who was staring at her as if she’d suddenly sprouted extra heads and delivered a final boss monologue.

 

“Um… You can let go of my hand now?” she tried. He just kept staring.

 

She finally noticed his heterochromatin eyes as they began filling up with tears.

 

“...Nanami?”

 

_Oh, no._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, everyone! I hope you enjoyed!  
> Big news, though - I've started a project to record Elevation as a full audiobook! If you want to help out or try out for one of the characters, you can go here! https://www.castingcall.club/projects/elevation-a-sdr2-fanfiction-turned-audiobook  
> There's also a discord server for that project and for Elevation in general (https://discord.gg/bVP4Xzx)! I hope to see you in there!  
> And finally, please leave comments! I'd love to know your thoughts; they help motivate me to continue this story!  
> Have a great week everyone!  
> EDIT: Please check me out on Patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/kaedeakamatsu) You can earn rewards that have to do with this story and more!


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